Transformers Prime: Reinforcements
by Dragon Force Ranger
Summary: AU Transformers Prime. Instead of only three humans discovering the Autobots, a fourth human also witnessed the Autobots in Jasper. Team Prime, led by Optimus Prime and Elita One, must work with their human allies to protect the Earth from not only the Decepticons but also a group of humans called MECH, and Unicron the Destroyer. Rated M for safety. Character Images on Profile.
1. Chapter 1: Darkness Rising Part 1

_**Author's Note**__**: This story is an AU of Transformers Prime. There is a fourth main human that interacts with the Autobots, my OC Mark Shadow. I'm also adding in a couple of Autobots, starting with Elita One, to the roster. Just a heads up, Mark is going to be Arcee's human partner while Jack is going to be Elita One's human partner.**_

_**Poll**__**: There is a poll on my profile where you can vote on what I should name my future Autobot OC. There is also a link to my OC's robot form to help with making decisions. This poll will be up for a while so take your time.**_

_**Inspiration and Borrowed Part from**__**: "After the Fall" and "Energon is Thicker than Blood" by Hexalys; and "Rise of the Predacons" by Forsaken and Darklost.**_

**Transformers Prime: Reinforcements**

**Chapter 1: Darkness Rising Part 1**

_**Old Dirt Road,**_

On the old dirt road, a red vehicle with bullhorns on the hood was driving along. To a passerby it would look like a regular car but if you ever got close enough to it, one would quickly realize that was far from the truth. The dark tinted windows kept people from realizing that there was no one driving it. "So there I am on the lookout when out of nowhere these high beams lit up my rear view. And then it hits me…I'm illegally parked." A male voice said from inside the vehicle. The voice was speaking to a friend through a radio link.

On a dirt road outside the desert town of Jasper, Nevada, a blue motorcycle was riding into town. Like the red car, this motorcycle and its 'driver' also have a secret. "Another parking ticket, partner?" A female voice asked.

"Better…the boot." The male voice replied with amusement.

"Big metal tire clamp, impossible to remove." The female commented.

"Bingo! So, the local po-lice do their thing and I let them get all the way down the block. That's when I kick off my new shiny shoe, and BANG!" He said with much enthusiasm.

The female couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "New York's finest soil themselves." She added.

"You know me, Arcee," the male started, "You mess with Cliffjumper…"

"…and you get the horns." Arcee finished.

Cliffjumper couldn't help but laugh.

"Not sure how that complies with Autobot rule number one: Keep a low profile." Arcee stated.

"What can I say, patrolling for energon out here in dullsville gets lonesome." Cliffjumper countered. "Almost makes me miss the Decepticons."

"Like Jasper, Nevada's a party. We're alone anywhere we travel on this rock, Cliff." Arcee said.

Suddenly, a beeping came from Cliffjumper's radio screen. Dots appeared on the screen as well. "I'm getting a signal."

"Need back up?" Arcee asked him quickly.

"Do I ever need backup?" Cliffjumper joked before then kicking his speed up, taking a sharp turn to the left, and discovering a miniature valley of sorts full of blue crystals sticking out of the ground. "I just found a whole lot of Energon." He said with a happy tone.

Unfortunately, it doesn't last long when a shadow fell upon Cliffjumper, who transforms into a 20 feet tall red mech robot with horn on his head. "Decepticons…" He said as he looked up and saw the enemy's ship. Without warning, the ship fired at him sending him crashing into the crystals. After a moment of shock, he looked up at the ship to see a group of enemy Transformers land at the top of the ledge looking down at him. These guys had purple and black armor with red visors on their faces. "Arcee…about that backup?" Cliffjumper asked his partner.

Cliffjumper turned his attention to the Vehicons that were staring him down. "Fair warning boys," he warned, "I'll put a few dings in yah." He then transformed back into vehicle mode and raced towards the enemy. He drove up the hill and leapt into the air, transforming again to robot mode and attacking the enemy.

_**Meanwhile,**_

A red and blue Long-nose Truck Cab was driving down a road with a purple McLaren MP4-12C Spider with red highlights driving next to it when a transmission came in. "Arcee to Optimus, the cons are back! Cliff might be neck deep in scrap!" Arcee reported urgently.

"Understood." A commanding voice said from the Truck. "Ratchet, do you have Cliffjumper's coordinates?"

In a snowy area, a mostly white ambulance with red details skidded onto the road. "I'm locked onto his signal Optimus, but our team is scattered across time zones." Ratchet replied as the ambulance came to a stop.

Optimus made a command decision. "Acree," the motorcycle came to a stop in Jasper, Nevada, "Bulkhead," a large green SUV came to a stop outside a forest area, "Bumblebee," a yellow and black Urbana 500 skidded to a stop in the desert, "rendezvous with Ratchet, Elita One and myself back at base and prepare to GroundBridge." Optimus ordered.

"Let's just hope Cliffjumper can hold them off long enough for us to get there." The female next to Optimus said. She was Elita One, Optimus' Second-in-command and sparkmate.

_**Minutes later, at Cliffjumper's former location,**_

The Decepticon Ship had departed from the area and the Energon crystals had been destroyed during the fight between Cliffjumper and the Decepticon Soldiers. A green and yellow hole appeared at the top of the crater's ledge and the Autobots came through in hopes of aiding their comrade.

First was a red and white hybrid ambulance, which transformed into the 25 feet tall mech Autobot medic known as Ratchet. He was followed by a large green SUV who transformed into the 25 feet tall mech, former Wrecker, known as Bulkhead. Following Bulkhead was a striking blue motorcycle who transformed into the 15 feet tall femme skilled warrior known as Arcee. Immediately following Arcee was the yellow-and-black striped Urbana 500, a car that resembled a Camaro, transformed in the 20 feet tall, voiceless mech Autobot, Bumblebee. Shortly after Bumblebee came a purple McLaren MP4-12C Spider with red highlights, which transformed into the 22 feet tall femme and second-in-command Autobot, Elita One. The last one out was the red and blue Long-nose Truck Cab that transformed into the big boss mech himself: the 30 feet tall, Autobot leader known as Optimus Prime. All of them had their hands in blaster mode, ready for battle.

Only to find that there was no battle taking place… they had arrived too late.

_**On board the **_**Nemesis**_**,**_

A pair of Vehicons dragged a damaged Cliffjumper onto the bridge where Starscream, a 25 feet tall, Seeker-class, mech Transformer, was waiting for them. Cliffjumper was leaking Energon from various parts of his damaged body, and one of his horns was missing. Cliff, forced to remain on his knees, looked up at Starscream with defiance in his optics. "Scream… been a while *cough*." He said casually. "So… where's your master?"

Starscream glared at Cliffjumper. "Never mind him! I am my own master!" He declared before quickly striking Cliffjumper in the left breastplate with his razor sharp fingers/claws, piercing it.

"AAHHH!" Cliffjumper cried out in pain.

"Many more questions?" Starscream asked rhetorically

Cliffjumper couldn't say another work as he felt his life force being to fade as Energon spilled from the wound. Starscream tore his hand out. The Vehicons released their hold on Cliffjumper.

Cliff fell forward as he went offline… permanently.

Cliffjumper was dead.

"Clean that up." Starscream callously ordered the Vehicons.

_**Meanwhile, back at the battle sight,**_

The Autobots had relaxed their guard as they looked around. "An untapped energon deposit." Optimus observed.

"What's left of it." Bulkhead commented.

"The first Decepticon activity in three years." Ratchet said to Optimus.

"That we know of, Ratchet." Elita One reminded the medic.

"Indeed, and if they're scouting for energon, they may be preparing for _his_ return." Optimus said ominously.

The Autobots began looking around to see if they could find any clues to the whereabouts of their comrade, Cliffjumper. Arcee was looking around much faster than the others, who were being more cautious, and jumped down into the crater. Bumblebee followed after her, just in case.

Acree looked around until her optics caught sight of something that made her gasp: one of Cliffjumper's horns. It had been broken off during the fight and was lying in the dirt until Arcee knelt down to pick it up. "No…" She said sadly, not wanting to believe it. She showed it to Ratchet.

"Ratchet," Optimus said, getting the medic's attention, "can you track his position?"

Ratchet opened the miniature computer in his wrists. He saw that his computer was getting a reading on Cliffjumper's signal but it was moving away from theirs and was red instead of yellow like the signals from the other Autobots. Before he could get an exact bead on the signal, it disappeared. "No! Cliffjumper's life signal just went offline." Ratchet announced sadly.

_**Back onboard the **_**Nemesis**_**,**_

Starscream stood on the bridge when the 25 feet tall, blue and purple armored, silent communications officer approached from behind him. "Soundwave. What is it?" Starscream asked impatiently as the eavesdropping Decepticon got closer.

The screen where Soundwave's face was showed a sound displayer. _"Like Jasper, Nevada's a party? We're alone wherever we travel on this rock, Cliff."_ A recording of Arcee's voice was played for Starscream as Soundwave had picked up the transmission.

"The one called Arcee." Starscream observed before he sneered. "Why slay one Autobot when we still have the advantage of surprise?"

_**Shortly, atop the Autobot Hideout, outside of Jasper, Nevada,**_

The Autobots were all gathered at a makeshift grave marker that Arcee had made for their fallen comrade, Cliffjumper. "We must not allow our anger over the loss of Cliffjumper to impair our judgment." Optimus spoke to his gathered comrades. "As of today, only we six Autobots remain on this Earth. We owe it to ourselves, to the memory of Cybertron, to any Autobots in any galaxy seeking safe harbor, to humankind." While Optimus continued his speech, Arcee walked forward holding Cliffjumper's horn in her hands. She gently placed it on the grave marker. "And we owe it to the memory of our fallen comrade to survive."

"Arcee…" Elita tried to comfort her fellow femme who she saw as a younger sister.

"If Cliff's gone, standing around here sulking won't bring him back. So unless anyone minds, think I'll get back to protecting humankind." Arcee said bitterly as she was walking away. She transformed into her motorcycle and drove off.

Elita looked at Optimus with worry in her optics. Optimus nodded, knowing her silent question. Elita then followed after Arcee, changing into her vehicle disguise as she went.

"Optimus, helping humans will only result in more tragedy." Ratchet said bitterly.

"Your opinion is noted." Optimus said but he wasn't about to change him mind.

_**In Jasper, Nevada,**_

A sixteen-year-old boy was working at a local fast food restaurant called KO Drive-In. He had slick black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing blue jeans, a long sleeve shirt with dark grey body but light grey sleeves and tennis shoes. He was just a regular kid saving up for a motorcycle…

"Welcome to KO Drive-In where the patties are a knockout. May I take your order?" Jack Darby spoke into the microphone in a very bored manner.

"_Uh, two super combos, extra fries."_ The customer ordered. This person was obviously a teenager by the sound of his voice.

"OK. Deus numerous deus. Anything else?" Jack asked as he prepared the orders.

"_Yeah, some advice. How do I get an awesome job like yours?"_ The customer asked sarcastically.

That was when Jack heard the tormenting laughter through the speakers next to his ears as he laid all the orders out. Jack didn't have to deal with this. He deals with this crap every day. And now, enough is enough.

"So that's two not-as-funny-as-we-think-we-are combos with a side of bite-me?" Jack sniped as he placed the bags on the counter.

"_WHAT'D YOU SAY?"_ The other voice said threateningly. Apparently, this guy was one who liked to dish it out but couldn't take it.

"$5.59, sir, at the window." Jack gritted through his teeth.

He heard the sound of the car pulling up and prepared the cash register. However, before Jack could react, they took the order, laughing, and started to pull away. The guys didn't even bother to pay for their orders!

"Hey! You have to pay for that!" Jack called after them helplessly.

Luckily, for Jack, the punks didn't get more than a few feet when a biker pulled directly in front of them, causing them to stop. The biker was wearing blue jeans, biker boots, a leather jacket, and fingerless biker gloves. His black helmet matched the black bike he was riding. He pulled a crowbar from the side of his bike, holding it in his right hand while threateningly tapping it against the palm of his left. "I suggest you punks back up and pay for your food before I lose my temper." The biker threatened.

The punks got the message and quickly backed up their car. They paid Jack the money before speeding off as quickly as they could.

Jack smiled out the window as the biker pulled up to the window but out of the way in case any customers showed up. "Thanks for the save, Mark." Jack said.

The biker removed his helmet and revealed a seventeen-year-old male with blue eyes, short black hair, and a slight tanned skin tone. "Anytime, Jack." Mark said with a smile.

Mark Shadow was a seventeen-year-old biker that went to school with Jack at Memorial High School. Mark and Jack have known each other for years as their moms both work at Jasper Hospital but they weren't really friends until recently. Mark had always been more of a loner, preferring to be by himself than with others. That is until a few weeks back, Mark got sick of watching Vince, the school bully, and his friends pick on Jack. When Vince and his cronies tried to pick a fight with Jack, Mark stepped in. By the time Mark was done, Vince and his friends had black eyes and broken noses. After that, Mark and Jack have been good friends. It was mostly Mark keeping Vince from bothering Jack too much but Jack was more than happy to just hang out with Mark.

Another thing was that Mark liked to work on his bike and was even tinkering with some old sports cars he had found in the scrap yard. Since Jack was saving up to buy a motorcycle or even a used car, Mark offered to give the vehicle a tune up to make sure it actually worked.

_**Sometime later, on a road leading into Jasper, Nevada,**_

Arcee was driving down the dirt road getting closer to the town when she activated her hologram of a female biker wearing an all leather suit. As she was driving through the city, being careful not to draw any sort of attention to herself, she couldn't help but think about how this was the second partner that she had been helpless to save. First, that psychotic bitch killed her partner Tailgate, and, now, Cliffjumper was killed.

Suddenly, as Arcee passed an old gas station, two dark purple cars began to follow her. The cars looked exactly alike and familiar… They were Decepticons!

"Twins…" Arcee muttered as she saw in her side mirrors before riding away at a faster speed than before. She looked for any way of escape. She saw that she was at the KO Drive-In where there were people eating food or hanging out. It was as good a cover as any, so she pulled into the parking area.

She watched in her side mirror as the twin cars continued driving down the road and turned away. "Take five, Sadie." Arcee said as she deactivated her hologram, set down her kickstand and turned off her engine.

Moments later, Elita One pulled into the parking lot and parked next to Arcee. But, before Elita could say anything, Jack exited the restaurant as his cellphone went off.

"Hey, mum. I just got off…" Jack answered. "No, I'm not going to the dance. Experience says I should never cut a rug…unless I'm installing carpet… Be careful? This is Jasper." Jack scoffed before properly letting his eyes wonder on the mysterious blue motorcycle and a sweet purple McLaren MP4-12C Spider with red highlights. He moved the cell away as he spaced out, almost drooling at two vehicles. "I love you… Yeah. I love you too, mum. I gotta run."

Mark walked over with his bike as Jack was talking to himself and the two vehicles. "Jack, seriously, you need to get a girlfriend." Mark said snapping Jack out of his daydreams. "Besides, the biker thing is my shtick."

"True but you gotta love this car." Jack said as he ran his hand over Elita's paint job. "Man, I can just imagine Vince's face if he saw me driving this baby."

Mark shook his head. "Yeah, is that before or after he tried to challenge you to a street race?" He asked. "Besides, Jack, that McLaren MP4-12C Spider has to cost a pretty penny. I doubt you'd be able to buy even a used version of the car with your paycheck."

Jack's hand was on the driver's door handle when he turned towards Mark, accidently pulling on the handle. The door popped open. Jack frozen as he looked around, wondering if the owner was nearby and unlocked it remotely, but didn't see anyone that looked to be heading towards the car. The smart thing to do would be to close the door and walk away but Jack couldn't resist the temptation. He opened the door and slid into the driver's seat, running his hands on the steering wheel.

Mark shook his head as Jack's actions. "You are going to get in big trouble, Jack." Mark commented as he inspected the motorcycle. "Damn, now this is one hot ride…"

"Okay, boys, you can leave anytime now…" Arcee pleaded quietly as she saw two Decepticon vehicles pulling up.

Mark noticed the cars pointing towards them and narrowed his eyes. "Jack, I think we should leave." He said standing up and going over to his bike, grabbing his crowbar, just in case.

"Wha-" Jack started to ask why when the two cars turned on their headlights and began revving their engines menacingly.

"Scrap…" Arcee and Elita muttered.

Suddenly the two cars' tires screeched as they prepared to charge the parking lot. Elita automatically closed her door on Jack and back out of her parking space. Mark, on reflex, dropped his crowbar and jumped onto his bike, gunning the engine and driving on the sidewalk to avoid getting hit. Arcee, completely ignoring protocol, started her engine and turned around, driving mainly on her back wheel and going between the two Decepticons.

Elita One and Arcee began driving away with Mark right behind them as the two Decepticons gave chase.

"WHOA!" Jack screamed as he held the steering wheel of Elita's vehicle for dear life.

"Hang on, kid!" Elita shouted as she did some quick turns.

"Who said that?!" Jack asked completely freaking out.

Mark wasn't sure what was going on but he kept up with the two mysterious vehicles as he needed to get Jack. "What the hell are you two?" Mark asked Arcee as the femme activated her hologram.

"None of your business!" Arcee snapped as two more Vehicons joined the other two in pursuit of them. The femmes managed to briefly give the Vehicons the slip.

"_Commander Starscream, target sighted with Elita One and a pair human youths."_ The Vehicon reported in.

"_Destroy them all!"_ Starscream ordered.

When Arcee and Elita One found a safe alley, Elita opened her door. "Out, now!" She ordered Jack, who was all too happy to comply.

"What are you?!" Jack demanded of the car.

"We don't exist." Elita hissed at Jack.

"You tell anyone about us and we will hunt you down!" Arcee threatened.

Mark and Jack decided it was best to leave before more company arrived. Jack ran down one of the alley's while Mark drove down another as the Vehicons showed up. Elita and Arcee started to drive away when they noticed two of the four Decepticon soldiers break off, one going after each of the boys.

"Scrap!" They both shouted.

Elita turned down an alley, racing to intercept Jack before the Vehicon could get to him, while Arcee turned around and went after Mark. Arcee was able to leap over the Vehicon.

Luckily for Elita, the alley she was drive down and the one Jack was running down would soon join into one. Jack was running as fast as he could. "I don't even know them!" He shouted desperately as the Vehicon was getting closer.

Fortunately, Elita One sideswiped the Vehicon, causing it to lose control. She sped up and opened her door. "Get in!" She shouted.

Jack dove into the car and Elita closed the door behind him, before picking up speed.

Meanwhile, Mark drove down the alleyway as the Vehicon chasing him was closing the distance. "Dammit, what the hell is going on?!" Mark hissed in anger as he tried to go faster.

Unfortunately, the Vehicon wasn't in the mood for a long chase and popped out the guns hidden under its hood. It began firing laser beams at Mark.

"Whoa! What the hell?!" He shouted as he tried to avoid the laser fire.

Unfortunately, one of the shots hit a pile of wooden crates, causing then to fall in Mark's path. "Shit!" He shouted as he tried to change course, but he couldn't keep control and instinctively jump off. Luckily, he did, as not a second later, one of the Vehicon's shots made contact, blowing up his bike.

"Fuck! I just got done upgrading that!" Mark shouted angrily but mostly to himself as he got up to his feet and began running on foot.

The Vehicon was quickly closing the distance between them when Arcee came revving up behind the Decepticon. She drove over Vehicon and sped up to where she was right alongside Mark. "HOP ON!" She shouted.

Mark didn't need to be told twice and jumped on. Arcee sped up and began moving evasively. "Okay, I'd really like some answers! Like for starters, who are those guys and why are they shooting at us?" He asked Acree as a second Vehicon joined the one already chasing them.

"There's no us, kid! And those are no guys." Arcee retorted as she drove up the entrance ramp to the highway.

Surprisingly enough, Jack and Elita One were already on the highway being chased by their two pursuing Vehicons. The two femmes were driving together on the highway, zigzagging through traffic with ease as the Cons continued chasing them.

Luckily, help arrived shortly after they began driving on the highway in the form of Bumblebee. The yellow bot rammed into the Decepticons, causing them the skid out. Bumblebee then began to follow Elita One, Arcee, Jack and Mark, ready to protect them if necessary.

"Friend of yours?" Jack asked Elita.

"Family." Elita and Arcee corrected.

Bumblebee did his best to keep the four identical Decepticon away from the femmes and their passengers. However, he couldn't keep them away for long. One of them sped up until he was next to Bumblebee and rammed into him the same manner he did to them before.

_**Under a nearby bridge,**_

A young boy was racing his yellow remote control car by himself, mimicking the noises made by a real car. The car was the same design as Bumblebee, not that the boy knew this. The boy had spiky brown hair, thick glasses over his brown eyes, and slightly tanned skin. He was wearing khaki pants, white tennis showed, and a brown sweater over a white dress shirt. The boy's name was Rafael though he preferred being called Raf. As he had fun with his remote control car, his phone rang, which he immediately answered

"Hi, mamma… Racing, right up the street…OK, just five more minutes?" Raf begged his mother before hanging up and resuming his little race.

On the bridge above him, he had no idea of the chase that was going on between Autobots and Decepticons. But he was about to find out.

Jack and Mark saw that they were approaching roadwork that closed the bridge. Arcee and Elita did not make any attempt at stopping or changing course. Instead, the two femmes jumped over the guardrails and flew over the bridge. Jack screamed and clung to Elita's steering wheel, while Mark gripped Arcee's controls and braced himself for impact.

On her back wheel, Arcee landed on the hill and jumped again to land on the ground…in front of Raf… who dropped his remote control in amazement. Elita drove down the hill and landed right next to Arcee.

"Whoa!" Raf exclaimed in awe.

"You have no idea." Mark said as he got off of Arcee and Jack got out of Elita One.

The four Decepticons appeared at the top of the shoulder. They rode down it and transformed into robots in front of them. "We are so dead." Mark deadpanned.

Arcee and Elita transformed behind them. "This ends here 'Cons." Arcee said before she ran at the 'Cons.

"Or not." Mark revised.

The femmes dodged the Vehicon blaster fire. Arcee jumped up and kicked one in the chest, taking it down. She dodged a shot from the other one, and then kicked him in the face, taking it down. Elita was also taking on two Vehicons, punching the first in the face before nailing the second with a kick to the stomach. Jack, Raf, and Mark watched the femmes and the Vehicons battle in awe.

"What are they?" Raf asked the older boys.

Jack shrugged not really knowing how to answer. "Talking cars that turn into robots." He started.

"Or the other way around." Mark finished.

Arcee kicked and punched the first Vehicon in the gut, then punched it in the face four times. "This. Is. For. 'Cliff." She said with each punch.

The 'Con looked at her and its cylonesq eye glowed brighter. It took a swing at Arcee, who moved back to avoid the strike. It then began firing its blaster at the blue armored femme. Arcee started doing handsprings backward to avoid his blaster fire. She was almost back to the place she started when she took a round to the chest and slid across the concrete with a nails-on-blackboard sound that made Mark wince.

Elita was busy fighting her own pair of Vehicons when grabbed the third Vehicon's blaster and ripped the blaster off, before tossing it aside. It landed on the ground beside Mark. Elita moved to the side to avoid a laser shot fired by the fourth Vehicon, which ended up hitting the third Vehicon in the chest. Elita jumped into the air and delivered a spin kick to the fourth Vehicon's head.

Mark, who couldn't help but be impressed with the technology, was examining the blaster. He knelt down to get a closer look at the blaster. He carefully reached out and touched the blaster, making sure to avoid the exposed wires.

Bumblebee jumped off the bridge, transformed in midair, and landed on the second Decepticon. He landed a huge punch on the first 'Con's face.

Arcee huffed and pushed herself up off the ground.

Bumblebee put pressure on the first Vehicon's head in a "don't get up" kind of way and stepped back. A crunch under his foot caught his attention. He lifted up his foot to reveal the crushed remains of Raf's toy car. He looked at Raf and let out a mechanical whining sound.

"It's no problem, really." Raf assured him.

Just then, the first vehicon shot him, blasting him back many yards. He started to get up when it held him down with its foot. Both of the Decepticons were about to blow him away when Raf yelled, "Leave him alone!" The 'Cons only ended up turning their guns towards the humans. Raf gulped, "Please?"

Jack leaned down. "Bad call." He said. One of the Decepticons started towards them.

"Run!" Mark shouted and the three fled from the giant robot. It was quickly gaining on them. "This way!" He told them as he led them to a storm drain. Mark ran down the drain a ways and looked back at Raf and Jack. They had both jumped in and were running for their lives. The second Vehicon's hand was coming for them fast. "Come on guys! Keep moving!" He called. Just as it was about to grab them, it quickly pulled out. There were two loud crashes and Bumblebee's head looked down the hole. He beeped quickly.

"Thank you!" Raf called. Bumblebee whirred and got up.

"Don't look back." Jack said.

"What did we just see?" Raf asked the two older boys.

"No idea." Mark answered.

"I'm not sure I wanna find out." Jack said truthfully, as the three ran deeper into the storm drain.

Bumblebee punched the second Vehicon in the face. The first one elbowed him in the base of the skull and kicked him back to where Arcee was just coming back into the fight. He landed at her feet and she quickly bent down the help him. Elita realized that her friends were in trouble and went to aid them.

The four Vehicons were quickly starting to wear them down. Arcee was helping Bumblebee up. He saw them and got into a battle stance. He was obviously worn down.

Just in time, Bulkhead arrived on the scene, honking his horn to get everyone's attention before he transformed into his much larger true form. "Who's ready to rumble?" He asked threateningly.

The four Vehicons looked at the four Autobots before transforming and fleeing the scene. The four Autobots relaxed, Bumblebee exchanged his battle stance for an exhausted one.

"What took you?" Arcee asked large Autobot.

"Traffic." Bulkhead deadpanned.

Elita picked up the abandoned Vehicon blaster before activating her communicator. "Ratchet, we need a GroundBridge and prepare the infirmary. We got a little banged up by the Vehicons." Elita requested and advised. A green portal appeared before the four Autobots who then entered the portal.

_**Several Minutes Later, at Autobot Headquarters,**_

Optimus Prime was listening patiently as Arcee, Bumblebee and Elita reported what had happened. "And the Cons would've been scrap metal if I hadn't been distracted by the humans." Arcee said with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Humans?" Optimus asked in slight surprise.

Bumblebee made a whirling noise in response.

"Three boys…" Optimus translated.

Arcee looked confused, as she was only aware of two human males, not three.

Elita explained it to Arcee. "Two were with us and a third saw us while we were fighting the Vehicons." Elita told her fellow femme.

"Oh, well, I was a little busy at the time." Arcee defended.

Optimus now had something new to worry about. "It the Decepticons are targeting us, anyone perceived as our ally will be at risk." He said calmly.

_**The next day, at Memorial School,**_

Jack had just walked out of the building and spotted Mark sitting by a tree with Raf standing nearby. "Raf, hey." Jack said somewhat awkwardly. "Look, let's just forget this between us and forget anything ever happened, okay?"

"That's going to be a bit more difficult than you think." Mark commented looking past Jack with narrowed eyes, getting a puzzled look from his fellow teenager.

A beep interrupted their conversation. Raf gasped. "Jack." He said quietly as Bumblebee rolled up to them in his vehicle mode.

"Oh, not again." Jack said in worry. The passenger side door opened and Bumblebee whirred.

"I think it wants us to get in." Mark guessed as he stood up.

"No. Just me." Raf corrected.

"How do you know that?" Jack asked.

"It said so." Raf said in a "duh" kind of way.

"What?" Jack said, flabbergasted.

"Your rides are over there." Raf said, pointing towards the front of the school where Arcee and Elita One were parked.

"Look, I really don't think that-" Jack started.

Raf didn't pay attention. "How's it going?" Raf asked, climbing into the front passenger seat and the door closed. Bumblebee then sped off.

"What? Wait! Stop!" Jack yelled.

"So, how do we play this one?" Mark asked his friend.

"Let's try walking away and maybe they'll just leave us alone." Jack suggested.

Mark cocked an eyebrow. "You honestly think that'll work?" He asked.

"You have a better idea?" Jack countered.

Sadly, Mark didn't, so the two started walking away.

On the wall in front of the school, a girl of Asian descent with most black hair, except for the bangs being dyed pink, named Miko was sketching Arcee in her motorcycle form. "Coolest…bike…ever." She practically squealed as she drew before her cellphone rang. She flipped it open and checked the caller ID. "Host parents? Ignore." She said before flipped the phone closed and going back to her sketchpad. When she looked up, Arcee was gone. She saw Arcee and her hologram rider on the road behind her followed Elita down the road. She got up and ran after her.

Mark and Jack started walking down an alley when Elita and Arcee caught up with the two boys. Arcee pulled in front of the two boys to stop them from walking away while Elita stopped behind them.

"Relax, we just want to talk to you two." Elita said as Mark tensed up, preparing for a fight.

"Don't you mean you and your new friend?" Jack asked, referring to the hologram riding Arcee.

"Boys, there's a lot you don't understand." Arcee said, deactivating her hologram.

"No, we get it. The first rule of robot fight club is: you don't talk about robot fight club." Mark countered somewhat jokingly.

"What you need to understand is that I don't want a bunch of crazy talking vehicles following me around trying to get me killed." Jack ranted trying to walk away from the two vehicles while Mark just stood where he was.

Elita and Arcee transformed. "Look," Elita said forcefully, getting Jack's attention, "Jack, is it? Your personal safety is exactly why Optimus Prime has requested your presence."

"Wait, Optimus who?" Jack asked.

"He must be there leader." Mark observed.

"That's correct." Elita admitted.

Acree continued. "You two may be in danger because you are two of the few, two of the only that have ever seen us." She explained.

"Dudes!" Miko yelled excitedly, getting their attention. She was standing at the entrance of the alleyway. "What are you two waiting for? Go with!"

"Scrap." Elita and Arcee deadpanned at the same time.

_**On the road to the Autobot Base,**_

Jack was in the driver's seat of Elita One with Miko in the passenger seat, while Mark was riding on Arcee. Miko was sticking her head out the window. "Wohoo!" She shouted in excitement.

"And why are we bringing her?" Jack asked Elita.

"Rules." Elita answered simply.

In front of the base, the Autobots drove off the road, heading straight for a large slab of stone. "Hey! Wait! WHOA!" Jack shouted in fear, trying to hit the brakes but Elita was overriding the brakes. The rocky face disappeared and the mechanic doors opened to reveal a secret tunnel of some kind. As soon as Bumblebee and Arcee were inside, the doors shut and the secret entrance was hidden to the rest of the world. Miko gasped in amazement as they slowed down and entered the computer room.

"Cool…" Raff sighed dreamily as he admired the computers.

"Whoa…" Jack and Miko gasped as they faced more of these Autobots. Mark was impressed but kept from saying anything.

All four humans couldn't take their eyes off of Ratchet and Bulkhead. "I thought there were only three." Ratchet commented.

"Haven't you heard? Humans multiply." Arcee said snidely.

"I'm Raf." Raf introduced himself.

"I'm Miko." Miko said, running up to Bulkhead. "Who are you?"

"Bulkhead." Bulkhead said slowly.

"Are you a car? I bet you're a truck, a monster truck! Do you like heavy metal? How much do you weigh? Ever use a wrecking ball for a punching bag?" Miko asked rapidly making Bulkhead slightly nervous.

"If you guys are robots, who made you?" Raf asked.

"Puh-lease." Ratchet groaned in annoyance.

"Raf, I think they're a bit more complicated than just simple robots." Mark stated.

Optimus walked up behind them. "We are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from the planet Cybertron, also known as Autobots." He explained.

"Why are you here?" Mark asked, as it was a little confusing. If the Autobots had a home world, then why weren't they living there?

"To protect your planet from the Decepticons." Optimus answered.

"The jokers who tried to bump us off last night." Arcee clarified seeing the slightly confused look on the humans' faces.

"Okay, why are they here?" Jack asked.

Optimus leaned down to the human's eye level. "A fair question Jack. In part, they are here because out planet is uninhabitable. Ravaged by centuries of civil war." Optimus said.

'_That explains it.'_ Mark thought, as it was the fear of many nowadays that the next world war would destroy the planet.

"Why were you fighting a war?" Raf asked.

"Foremost, over control of out world's supply of energon, the lifeblood of all AutoBots and Decepticons alike." He said. He took on a strange look. Mark knew it well, as he had seen it on his mother's face sometimes when he asked her about her days at the hospital a few times. He was remembering something bad. "The combat was fierce, and endured for centuries. In the beginning, I fought alongside one I considered a brother. But, in war, ideals can be corrupted. And it was thus that Megatron lost his way." Optimus told the five humans.

Jack and Raf looked amazed and a little worried, Miko looked bored, and Mark had a look that impressed and slightly worried Optimus. He'd seen that look on a few Autobots that had been under his command. It was of understanding and a look of thinking of possible ways he could help in the future. There was also a hint of excitement, which worried Optimus, as it was something he once saw in Megatron's optics.

Miko yawned. "Is there going to be a quiz?" She asked rhetorically.

Mark face palmed, which was exactly what Optimus had felt like doing. Jack and Raf were looking at her weird. Jack regained his composure. "So what does Megatron, or any of this, have to do with us?" He asked.

"Megatron has not been seen or heard from in some time. But if his return is imminent, as I fear, it could be catastrophic." Optimus predicted.

"And given the recent activity of the Decepticons, we have to assume that Megatron could be returning at any moment." Elita informed the humans.

_**Onboard the Decepticon Warship,**_

Soundwave relayed transmissions to Starscream. "Those transmissions are emanating from deep space." Starscream said. "I would hate to waste the energon, unless you are absolutely certain." Soundwave nodded his head in confirmation that was definitely a signal worth checking out. "Then lock on transmission coordinates and activate the spacebridge." Starscream ordered.

A Decepticon drone nodded obediently and typed in the transmission coordinates. Within moments, the spacebridge was activated.

_**In deep space,**_

Shortly after the coordinates were transmitted, another spacebridge activated. Popping slowly from the swirls of green, blue, purple, and white was a futuristic jet came through and immediately transformed into a large silver mech as soon as he was out. He had a sharp, powerful, intimidating build, flaming red eyes, and a vengeful personality. This Decepticon was no ordinary Decepticon. He was the true leader of the Decepticons.

"DECEPTICONS! I HAVE RETURNED!" Megatron proclaimed menacingly.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2: Darkness Rising Part 2

**Transformers Prime: Reinforcements**

**Chapter 2: Darkness Rising Part 2**

_**At one of the Decepticon Energon Mines,**_

The Decepticon warship lowered itself over a large chasm within a mountain. Starscream was getting Megatron up to speed on everything that has happened since his departure. "Of all the Energon deposits we have located while you were away, Lord Megatron, this one, by far, is the most significant." Starscream boasted to Megatron. "The drones have been mining without pause during your absence and have massed quite a stock pile. You there! Fetch me a sample!" Starscream ordered one of the drones.

"Starscream! Now that I have returned, I will issue the commands." Megatron proclaimed, causing Starscream to flinch at the tone in which Megatron addressed him.

"I… understand, Lord Megatron." Starscream said with reluctance and a slight distaste in him mouth. "Then as your humble servant, shall I ready the spacebridge to bring forth the Decepticon army you have surely gathered during your three years in space?" He offered.

"My army will come." Megatron affirmed. "But my time away has yielded a more intriguing means of materializing them." He revealed a sharp of glowing purple crystal, which appeared to be giving off a purple radiation that was visible. "The solidified form of the matter the ancient texts refer to, as the Blood of Unicron."

"Unicron the Destroyer?" Starscream gasped in awe. "But it is said that his blood is the anti-spark."

"Plucked from Cosmic Shores. Gaze upon, Dark Energon." Megatron said lowly.

"Legend tells it holds the power to…revive the dead." Starscream said quietly, staring at the glowing purple shard in Megatron's hand.

"We require only a cadaver to be certain." Megatron stated before looking at his first lieutenant. "Are you willing to make the ultimate sacrifice?"

Starscream fidgeted in his place and laughed nervously. "That may not be necessary. If I may, Lord Megatron…" He said, motioning to the two drones carting the dead body of Cliffjumper off the lift. "Consider it a 'Welcome Home' present." He said evilly as the cart was wheeled up to Megatron.

Megatron grinned evilly as he definitely approved of this sort of present.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

Optimus was finishing briefing the four human children. "And since you now know of our existence, I fear that is of last night, the Decepticons know of yours." Optimus said.

"Got it." Jack said. "If we see any strange vehicles, call 911."

Mark gave Jack a disbelieving look. "What would calling the police possibly be able to for us?" He asked Jack.

"What?" Jack said in confusion not getting what Mark was hinting at.

"Jack, how the hell would the police be able to help us if we get attacked by Decepticons?" Mark asked before elaborating. "If the Autobots are any indication, then Cybertronians are huge! We humans are tiny by comparison. The cops would get squished."

"He is correct, Jack." Optimus advised. "It is more recommended that you call us in case of a Decepticon attack."

"Okay, I get it." Jack said. "Can we go now?" He really wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Are you insane?" Miko hissed. "I am living a dream here in Botswana! And I will not allow you or anyone else to shatter it!" Mark gave Miko a disbelieving look at her attitude.

"It is best that you four remain under our watch." Optimus said. "At least until we can determine our enemy's intentions."

"Optimus, with all due respect, the human children are in as much danger here as anywhere." Ratchet warned Optimus.

"Children?" Jack bristled. He was sixteen years old and it was bad enough that his mom didn't seem to get that.

"Easy, Jack." Mark whispered, even though he also hated being called a child.

"They have no protective shell." Ratchet explained. "If they get underfoot they will go…_squish_." He lightly put his foot down for emphasis.

"Then for the time being, Ratchet, we must watch where we step." Optimus reasoned. Just as Optimus finished speaking, an alarm sounded and a green light pulsed through the base.

"What's that?" Jack asked, starting to freak out.

Bumblebee made a whining whirring noise. "Proximity sensor." Raf translated for the others. "Someone's up top."

"It's Agent Fowler." Ratchet announced.

"I thought we were the only humans that knew about you guys." Jack said. Mark shook his head in disbelief at what Jack had just said.

"Special Agent Fowler is our designated liaison to the outside world." Optimus explained.

"He tends to visit only when there are _issues_, so it may be best if you don't meet him at this time." Elita suggested.

The humans got the hint and hid behind a wall holding up the viewing platform. The elevator whirred and beeped as it got closer to the main viewing platform. The door slid open with a soft hiss and a middle-aged black man exited. He looked to be out of shape by the gut he was showing. Without pause, he listed off the _issues_ Elita had spoken of as he walked towards Optimus. "7 wrecks, 34 fender-benders, a three hour traffic jam, and a particular note, numerous reports of a speeding motorcycle of unknown make and a black and yellow custom muscle car. So, anything you want to get off your tin chest, Prime?" Fowler asked even though he already knew what the answer was.

"We have the situation under control, Agent Fowler." Optimus replied cordially.

"They're back, aren't they?" Fowler asked seriously.

"If you are referring to the Decepticons, I have doubts that they ever left." Optimus stated.

"Your planet is much too valuable." Elita stated as she was the second-in-command of the Autobots.

"Then it's time to wake up the pentagon." Fowler stated.

"Hear me Agent Fowler. We are your best, possibly your only defense against the Decepticon threat." Optimus implored.

"Says you." Fowler argued.

"Hey fleshy!" Bulkhead snapped, getting Fowlers attention. "Did anyone get splattered on that freeway?" He asked. "Team Prime knows when to use force, and how much to use." In the process of his small speech, he had picked up a mechanical claw and crushed it for emphasis.

"Bulkhead! I needed that!" Ratchet exclaimed.

"Enough." Optimus said to the arguing Autobots, calming them immediately. "Military involvement will only result in catastrophe. Perhaps you can condone widespread human casualties Agent Fowler. I, however, cannot."

"Then do us both a favor and handle this Prime. _Under_ the radar. Or I will." Fowler threatened. He went back to the elevator and left.

"Pretty big bearings, for a human…" Bulkhead stated.

"Agent Fowler is concerned for his world, Bulkhead, as he should be." Optimus said.

_**At the Decepticon Mine,**_

Megatron stood over the body of Cliffjumper with the Dark Energon in hand, preparing to use it. "Let us see if power born of darkness…can reignite the spark." Megatron growled. He stabbed the shard into Cliff's spark chamber.

The shard began to glow brightly and Cliff's dead body began to twitch. The shard then melted and integrated into Cliffjumper's systems. Starscream backed way out of fear of what might happen. All of the Autobot's circuits changed to a bright glowing open. When he opened his mouth to speak, he didn't sound like the Cliffjumper he once was. Instead, he sounded like a monster. His optics came back online in a shade of deep purple instead of their usual sky blue. The zombified Cliffjumper growled and screamed as it thrashed against its bonds on the stretcher. He broke a wrist bond and targeted a drone that had its blaster locked on him.

Cliffjumper broke the other bonds and jumped on top of the drone. The drone struggled against Cliffjumper all he could, but it was no use against the Dark Energon infused zombie. The drone tried to shoot Cliff, but he ripped the blaster away from him and began to crush his head. Another drone panicked and fired rapidly on Cliff. The few shots that did connect with him were useless. The zombie blocked a few shots then jumped on the other drone and began to beat that one to a pulp. Megatron could only watch on, pleased with the results of the resurrection by Dark Energon.

"Master! That's your plan?!" Starscream squeaked in horror. "Bring Autobots back from the dead to attack us?!"

"That is no longer an Autobot." Megatron corrected his second-in-command. "Just a mindless beast. It's only instinct to destroy anything in its path."

Cliffjumper emerged from the shadows after terminating the other drone. It roared and ran to attack Megatron.

Megatron deployed his sword and cut Cliff in half deftly. "There, Starscream, lies the indestructible seed of my army." Megatron explained. The top half of Cliffjumper had caught hold of the edge of the platform and was trying to pull itself up. "The ultimate weapon!" Megatron went on. He placed his foot on the surviving half of Cliffjumper and pushed him off the viewing platform. Cliff bounced off one of the supporting rings of the lift and landed on a lower platform. "Once I learn to control it." He muttered to himself.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

A signal reached the computer and started beeping. Ratchet went over to the control panel and pulled up the data. "Blasted earth tech!" He exclaimed in annoyance. "Cliffjumper's signal popped back online." This news got everyone's attention and the Autobots were especial surprised by the news.

"Who's Cliffjumper?" Miko asked but the Autobots ignored her question.

"How is that possible?" Optimus asked.

"It isn't." Ratchet said. "It has to be another bug! The system's chock full of them."

"If there's any chance Cliff's alive?" Arcee implored, all too eager to rescue her partner.

"Ratchet, prepare sickbay. We may need it." Optimus ordered.

"Hey!" Miko yelled getting the Autobots' attention. "What can we do?" There was a small silence.

"You four will remain with Ratchet." Elita said in a tone that made it clear that this wasn't up for discussion.

"Aww." Miko whined at being left out of the action.

"Uhh." Ratchet moaned in annoyance at being stuck with the humans.

"Autobots, rollout!" Optimus commanded and transformed into his truck cab vehicle form. The GroundBridge portal opened and he drove through it closely followed by Elita, Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead.

"What just happened?" Jack exclaimed, really starting to freak out.

"I transported them to the designated coordinates via the GroundBridge." Ratchet explained.

"What's a GroundBridge?" Raf asked.

Ratchet groaned at the humans' ignorance. "A scaled down version of spacebridge technology… Since we don't currently possess the means or the energon required for intergalactic travel-"

"You're stuck here. On earth." Jack finished.

"With the likes of you, yes." Ratchet said. "But I constructed the GroundBridge to enable travel from here to anywhere on your planet."

"Woah." Raf said, gaping at the portal.

"Does it work for humans?" Mark asked curiously.

"Naturally." Ratchet said.

"You mean I could just shoot on over and visit my parents in Tokyo?" Miko asked.

"Within moments. In fact allow me to send you there immediately, all four of you." Ratchet offered almost eagerly.

"Watch it Ratchet." Miko countered. An awkward silence followed after that.

Mark ended up being the one to break it. "Hey, Ratchet, can you explain spacebridge technology to me a little more? I'm interested in how it works." He requested, as he was genuinely curious about how it worked.

Ratchet seemed a little taken back at the young man's interest in the inner workings of spacebridge technology, but started to explain after a nearly inaudible "Sure."

_**Decepticon Mine,**_

The Autobot spacebridge opened in a secluded area of a tunnel in the Decepticon Mine. Optimus and the other four Autobots rolled out and transformed weapons hot. "Energon mine." Bulkhead identified.

"Judging by its scale, the Decepticons have been tunneling here for quite some time." Elita observed. The five came up on an area in the tunnel when mining drones were hard at work mining energon cubes and storing them.

"Let's find Cliffjumper." Optimus ordered. He walked down the center of the tunnel, weapons drawn, with the other four close behind him. The drones saw the Autobots approaching and began to fire.

Soon a massive firefight began and a mining 'Con came at the Autobots with a drill. Bulkhead knocked it aside with his wrecking ball. The Autobots advanced down the tunnel and Arcee dodged blaster fire by flipping over it. She landed then launched herself up in the air, firing twice at a drone, taking it out as she landed on it. She jumped off its body and jumped on the shoulders of a different drone. She spun on its shoulders, effectively taking its head off.

Bumblebee jumped into the air, dodging blaster fire and shooting a drone down. He landed on the drone and leapt out of the way just as a drill was about to hit him. The drill was tipped on its back by Optimus, who disabled the drill and took out the drone. He quickly ran out of the way of blaster fire. Elita quickly opened fire on the drones that were firing on Optimus, taking them out with master marksmanship. A drone was running up behind Optimus only to have him legs swept out from under him by Bulkhead in his vehicle mode. Bulkhead transformed quickly and smashed the drone into the ground with his wrecking ball.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet was telling Mark about spacebridge tech. He was slightly unnerved by the speed he was taking notes at. Raf was also listening intently to Ratchet's lesson. Jack was half listening, just looking up at the ceiling from his place sitting at the wall of the viewing platform. Miko wasn't paying attention and was wandering around the main room. "What is this anyway?" She asked, pointing towards a hub with many dials and buttons.

"Broken. Don't touch." Ratchet said shortly. Miko started to lower her hand to a disk drive when Ratchet said, "Don't touch that either."

"Is there anything we _can_ touch?" Jack asked with a slight attitude.

Ratchet rolled his eyes at him and turned to a huge monitor when it sounded an error alert. Ratchet turned to the monitor and glared. "Why are you guys using human computers?" Raf asked.

"It certainly isn't by choice." Ratchet snapped. "It was handed down from the previous tenants when we inherited this former missile silo. I make modifications as I see fit." Just after he said that all three huge monitors sounded the error alert many times and the screens filled up with error messages. Ratchet groaned in annoyance as this happened quite often.

"I think I can fix that." Raf said quietly as he took off his backpack and opened it up to pull out his laptop.

"Really?" Ratchet said disbelievingly. "You know this is complex technology don't you? I mean, it isn't a child's toy."

Raf didn't answer, he just connected his laptop to the computer and input some data into the base's systems. "Now try." He instructed.

Ratchet turned back to the monitor and pressed a button. All the error messages disappeared and the programs Ratchet had up reappeared. He stared at the corrected problems in awe for a second, and then turned back to Raf, with a small smile on his face.

_**In the Decepticon mine,**_

A drill was going right for Bulkhead. He crushed the drill bit with his wrecking ball, causing the drone driving the drill to fly out of the vehicle and be shot by Elita. The Autobots stowed their weapons and regrouped. Ahead of them, there was a small squadron of mining drones and drills. The Autobots advanced and transformed toward the squadron.

"Maximum overdrive!" Optimus commanded. They all transformed and bowled right through them, Optimus doing so with a wicked tailspin. He made a drill launch into the air and its driver was ejected to be run over by Bumblebee and Bulkhead.

Arcee, having such a small and agile alt-form as she did, was able to dodge all the drones and drills. Elita, while not as small as Arcee, was also dodging the drills while running over the drones. Optimus rammed through the last few drones in the way of the end of the tunnel to the main chamber. The Autobots transformed and hid behind a pile of stored energon cubes. There were numerous platforms and the lift was still deployed. Mining drones were everywhere, carting energon to the lift.

Bulkhead let out a low whistle. "Quite an operation." He said. Unfortunately, someone heard his whistle and started firing on them. Another firefight started up as the Autobots returned fire.

"Optimus, I know this isn't a good time to mention this, but we should have Ratchet open a GroundBridge and try to get some of this Energon back to our base." Elita suggest as she fired with pinpoint accuracy. Energon was the fuel, ammunition and lifeblood of Cybertronians and the Autobots' supply back at base would soon start to run out if they didn't starting to run low.

"Agreed." Optimus said before opening a comlink to the Autobot Base. "Ratchet, reopen the GroundBridge using our arrival coordinates and send my carrier through. Bulkhead and Bumblebee, go back and get the carrier. Begin filling it with as many cubes as you can get." Optimus ordered. The two Autobots nodded in understand and went back into the tunnel.

_**On the Decepticon warship,**_

Megatron was studying the Dark Energon. "Blood of Unicron," he said to himself, "how might I fathom the depths of your mystery, become worthy of wielding your astonishing power?"

The video com beeped and an image of Starscream. _"Lord Megatron, intruders have been detected in the mines."_ Starscream reported.

"Optimus?" Megatron guessed.

"_Indeed."_ Starscream confirmed.

"I need more time to prepare an appropriate reception for my old friend. Ready the ship for departure." Megatron ordered.

"_But the energon I've mined! The Autobots will seize it!"_ Starscream reminded Megatron.

"Then blow the mines." Megatron said as though it was the most obvious thing, which it was considering that the Decepticons couldn't allow the Autobots to get any sort of an advantage over them. Best an asset is destroyed, than fall into the hands of the enemy.

_**In the Main Chamber of the Decepticon Mine,**_

The three of the AutoBots were still engaged in their firefight. Arcee ducked a shot and glanced around. Seeing a red figure on a higher platform, she zoomed in on it. It was Cliffjumper! "It's Cliff!" She reported. "I have a visual!"

"We'll cover you. Go!" Optimus ordered as he and Elita opened fire at the Decepticon forces. Having found a storage area right next to the entrance of the tunnel that the Autobots had bridged into, Bumblebee and Bulkhead were filling up Optimus's carrier with storage cubes that were full of processed Energon Cubes. They had already moved many of the crates of unprocessed Energon, that the miners had dug out in the tunnel the Autobots bridged into, to the Autobot base.

Arcee vaulted herself over the boxes she had been using for cover and transformed, racing up a ramp and launching herself high into the ring supports of the lift. She grabbed a beam and landed the ring attached to it. She ran around the ring and launched herself off a different beam, grabbing a thinner ring and swinging herself on top of it. She jumped off that ring onto the lower lip of the platform Cliffjumper was on. She pulled herself over the edge of the platform to him.

Acree gasped at Cliff's half-bodied form leaking energon. She shielded herself from incoming blasts from two drones on a higher platform. The section of platform Cliffjumper was on started to fall. "Cliff!" She yelled. She jumped to his falling body and caught his hand. She pulled him partly up, struggling from the bad leverage, his weight, and the fact that the Cons were still shooting at her.

Optimus and Elita fired on them and took them out. Arcee shielded her face from some falling rocks. She then looked down at Cliffjumper. "Let's get you home partner." She said but to her shock, when Cliff looked up at her, he started growling at her. Arcee recoiled and he struggled against her, ending up tearing her grip from his hand. She continued reaching for him as he fell down the shaft.

"No!" Optimus shouted as he saw Cliffjumper's body falling, bouncing off a platform, and landing in a pile of raw energon. He looked up at Arcee, whose head was down with her frame sagging.

Their attention was drawn by an evil laugh. Starscream was standing on a much higher platform with an explosive charge in his hand. "Prime!" He spat. "I'd stick around but I'm squeamish." He dropped the charge into the energon at the bottom of the mine. He then jumped off the platform, flipped around, transformed, and flew out of the mine.

"The joint's gonna blow!" Bulkhead yelled as he closed up the carrier that was filled to capacity.

"Autobots, rollout!" Optimus commanded as he transformed and hooked up to his carrier.

Arcee jumped down behind him and transformed with the rest to return to the place they started. As they drove down the tunnel, the bomb counted down until no more time was left. It exploded, igniting the energon around it and sending a fireball many hundreds of feet in the air over the main shaft.

The explosion was gaining with the Autobots extremely fast. "Ratchet, bridge us back. Use the arrival coordinates now!" Optimus ordered. The GroundBridge opened in front of them.

The humans all watched as the Autobots drove out of the GroundBridge with the explosion following them in the portal. Ratchet turned the ground bridge off when Optimus got through.

As soon as Bulkhead was through the portal, he had quickly transformed out of Vehicle mode. He was now in front of Optimus, who was going too fast to stop on his own but couldn't transform as he was attached to his carrier, which held the precious Energon that the Autobots so desperately needed. The impact with a speeding truck form Optimus caused Bulkhead to skid back a few feet but he was able to help Optimus stop without causing too much damage to the base or himself. Luckily, Ratchet had moved the crates of unprocessed Energon out of the general area of the GroundBridge generator, otherwise, this entrance could've been really messy.

"Woah." was the unanimous reaction among Jack, Mark, Raf, and Miko.

"Cutting it a bit close." Ratchet commented. "How about Cliffjumper?" The AutoBots looked down sadly.

Miko ran up to the rail. "What was that explosion? Was there a fight? Can I come with next time?" She rambled off.

"Miko!" Mark said angrily as he glared sharply at her. The Autobots had obviously just failed at saving someone they cared about and Miko was bombarding them with insensitive, poorly timed questions.

"Look," Arcee started aggressively, already upset about what just happened.

Luckily, Jack came to Miko's rescue, not that she realized it. "Hey, Miko, let's go see what the 'Bots hide in their sock drawers." He suggested, leading her away from the approaching hailstorm from Arcee.

"Seriously?" was Miko's response.

With Miko being led away, Optimus, now unhooked from his carrier, transformed and walked over to Arcee. "Arcee, what did you see?" Optimus asked, needing to know what happened.

"Not Cliff." Arcee said as she wrapped her arms around her body as she tried to comfort herself from what she had seen. "At least, not anymore. He was mutated, butchered, like something from those 'Con experiments during the war. Ugh…" She wobbled and suck down to the ground, leaning on a box. Bee whirred worriedly. "I'm fine." Arcee forced out. "Just…dizzy…"

"Robots who get dizzy?" Miko asked in confusion.

"Robots with emotions." Raf said.

"Robots who can die." Jack observed.

Mark shook his head at the others comments. Just because the Autobots resembled robots does not mean that they are the same as robots.

Ratchet had Arcee take a seat and began running some scans on her. His scans came up positive with something, a deep purple liquid that was smoking slightly on the back of Arcee's left hand. "Hmm… what is this?" He asked as he held up Arcee's hand to get a closer look.

"Don't know." Arcee said holding her head. "Cliff was covered in it. Leaking it."

Ratchet scraped a bit off with a scalpel. "Go take a decontamination bath. Now." He ordered. Bumblebee helped Arcee up and she went off to take the bath.

"Optimus, I hate to bug but, no bars." Jack said as he held up his cellphone.

"A security precaution." Optimus explained. "The silo walls isolate all radio waves."

"Well, if I don't call my mom, like now, I'm pretty sure the cops will be out looking for me." Jack stated.

"Have you broken a law?" Optimus asked in confusion.

"Curfew. It's after 10 PM." Mark answered, knowing Jack's curfew because of the few times Jack had been over at his house and needed a lift home to get there before curfew. "Basically, all of us need to get home. Otherwise we're going to be in big trouble."

"I better get home too, or I'll be grounded for a year." Raf said.

"Earth customs… I hadn't considered." Optimus said apologetically. "But the issue of your safety remains." He then quickly came up with a plan and turned to the Autobots. "Bulkhead, accompany Miko home." He said to the large green Autobot.

"Awesome! My host parents will freak!" Miko said excitedly.

"And maintain covert surveillance in vehicle form." Optimus added.

"Curbside duty. Got it." Bulkhead confirmed with a nod.

"Aww." Miko whined.

"Bumblebee, you'll watch over Raf." Optimus ordered. Bumblebee looked to Raf and Raf smiled back at 'Bee.

"Ratchet-" Optimus started

"Busy." Ratchet interrupted evasively as he was running some tests on the gunk he had taken from Arcee.

Arcee walked in just then. "Arcee, you'll accompany Mark home." Optimus ordered.

"Uhh, still dizzy." Arcee said, as she swayed exaggeratedly, trying to get out of guardian duty.

"You're fine says your physician." Ratchet said, studying the strange substance. Arcee huffed and walked over to Mark grudgingly.

"Optimus." Mark said getting the Autobot leader's attention. "With your permission, I'd like to tell my mother about what's happened here."

"Why?" Optimus asked curiously, as the others looked at Mark with confusion.

"Several reason." Mark admitted. "First is that she knows when I'm lying, don't ask me how, she just does no matter how hard I try. Plus, I told her yesterday that my bike was totaled. If I show up one a new one that she's never seen me working before, she's bound to be suspicious. By telling her the truth, it would avoid her constantly questioning me about it." He explained, getting a nod of understanding from Optimus. "The second main reason has to do with who I think you're about to assign to be Jack's guardian." Mark gestured to Elita One, impressing Optimus and Elita that he could actually figure out what the Prime was thinking. "Her vehicle form is a McLaren MP4-12C Spider, which happens to be an expensive sports car. If Jack shows up at home with one, his mom is going to be suspicious because there is no way Jack could afford to buy one, even if it was used. Ms. Darby knows that I like to work on old vehicles, repairing and/or rebuilding them. Jack can just tell his mom that the car is really mine, but I gave it to him because I'm more of a motorcycle rider than a sports car driver." Mark reasoned and it sounded like a good idea.

"How does telling your mother have anything to do with this?" Elita asked curiously.

"Mark's mom works with mine at the Hospital as nurses and they talk… a lot." Jack answered catching on to what Mark was thinking. "No doubt my mom will ask Mark's about why Mark is allowing me to drive his car around."

"And if she doesn't know the truth, you'll be caught in a lie which could result in you getting into trouble." Optimus guessed and received a nod from the two boys. Optimus thought it over.

"Plus, as my mom is a nurse, she'd be able to help if any of us get hurt." Mark said.

"Having a human medic on standby just in case something happens is a good idea, considering the Decepticon activity." Elita stated as she agreed with Mark's reasoning, seeing as how Ratchet's specialty was more in Cybertronian medicine, not human.

"Very well, Arcee will accompany Mark home and will help him explain the situation to his mother while Elita will go with Jack and act as his guardian." Optimus said calmly.

_**Shortly, at Mark's House,**_

Arcee pulled up to Mark's house and into the garage. The garage had space for two cars and had a few spare parts in the corner. "Arcee, I just wanted to say, I'm really sorry for your loss." Mark said sympathetically as he climbed off.

"What could you possibly know about loss?" Arcee asked moodily.

"What, you think you're the only one with problems?" Mark countered, not really liking Arcee's attitude, since he was trying to be nice.

Arcee transformed. "I'm not sure girl trouble counts." She stated bitterly thinking of what she had seen teenagers doing around town.

"I wasn't talking about girl troubles." Mark said bluntly, as he folded his arms across his chest and glared at the blue femme. "I was talking about losing someone you care about."

Before Arcee could ask what he meant by that, a light blue car started to pull up to the house. Arcee quickly deployed her blasters. "Cons." She hissed quickly, assuming the worst.

"No, it's not Cons, it's my mother." Mark corrected calmly. "Change to vehicle mode for now." Arcee quickly did as requested.

The car pulled into the garage and parked, with the female driver climbing out. Mark's mom, Sarah Shadow, was a woman in her mid to late forties with long brown hair, green eyes, and slightly tanned skin. She was wearing green scrubs that were typical for a nurse under a black overcoat.

Sarah was confused when she saw the motorcycle in their garage but ignored it for a moment. "Hello, son, I trust you had a good day?" She asked.

Mark shrugged. "More or less, though it was definitely interesting." He admitted with a smile. "How about you? Anything interesting happen at the hospital?"

Sarah smiled at her son. "Pretty much same old." She replied as today was fortunately one of the more quiet days at the hospital. "Now, Mark, where did you get that motorcycle?" She asked as the pleasantries had been shared.

"You may want to close the garage door for this." Mark recommended. Sarah was confused but trusted her son to do as he asked.

As soon as the garage door was closed, Arcee transformed right in front of Mark's mom, was shocked to say the least. Mark quickly grabbed a wheeled chair that was nearby and placed it behind his mother, who immediately sat down. "Mom, this is Arcee." Mark introduced.

Arcee then proceeded to explain to Sarah about the Autobots and their war against the evil Decepticons. She told Sarah how she and Mark met, about Jack, Miko and Raf knowing of the Autobots, and why Arcee was telling Sarah all of this.

"So let me get this straight, you Autobots are stuck here on Earth, trying to keep the Decepticons from conquering the planet, and possibly destroying it like they did your home world." Sarah summarized, as she was making sure she understood. "And when they managed to track you and your team's second-in-command down to Jasper, Nevada, Mark, Jack and Raf got caught in the middle of it. Now, in order to keep them and the transfer student, Miko, safe, you're going to be acting as guardians by pretending to be vehicles. And you want me to help with the cover story of Elita One being a car my son rebuilt and is allowing Jack to use, to avoid any sort of unwanted questions being asked by June." She said getting a nod from Arcee before she continued. "To top it off, you also want me on standby as a medical assistant in case anything does happen."

"We would like to think that nothing will happen but we've learned from past experience to always prepare for the worst case scenario." Arcee stated.

Sarah sighed. "I don't suppose I could convince you to bring June in on the secret?" She asked, not wanting to lie to her friend.

Mark gave his mother a disbelieving look. "Mom, you know Ms. Darby better than anyone and you have to ask that?" He asked. Ms. Darby was definitely overprotective of Jack and, at times, treated the sixteen year old like a child still in elementary school.

"Point taken." Sarah conceded, as June Darby was definitely one of those overprotective parents. "I'll run interfered as best I can with June but I know for a fact that sooner or later, she is going to learn the truth."

_**At Jack's House,**_

Jack and Elita drove into his house's driveway, with Jack activating the garage remote he had on him. The garage door opened and revealed that Jack had beat his mom home so it would give him time to calm down as he waited for her. "Hey, Elita, who was Cliffjumper that you guys were talking about earlier?" Jack asked as he had been wondering that for a while.

Elita was silent for a while before answering. "Cliffjumper was an old friend of Optimus and mine before the war. He was a bit of a chatterbox but he had a way of warming up to anyone he meets." Elita said sadly. "He and Arcee joined up with Optimus on this planet 4 years ago using a Decepticon Spacebridge as it was overloading. Before Cliff had come along, Arcee was a loner refusing to partner up with anyone after the loss of her previous partner, Tailgate. But Cliff was able to chip away at the barrier Arcee had tried to build up around her spark and got her to open up a little. Since then, Cliffjumper has been Arcee's partner." Elita informed Jack. "And with Cliff being gone, I'm a little worried about Arcee."

Jack grinned. "I wouldn't be too worried." He assured Elita. "If there's anyone who can relate to Arcee, it's Mark." Even though Mark seemed to prefer being a loner, it was mostly because everyone assumed he was a badass biker dude that would beat the tar out of someone just for looking at him funny. That's not the case. While Mark is a badass biker, he is also one of the kindest people Jack knows. The reason he was a loner was because Mark had a hard time finding common ground with others his own age because of something that happened when he was younger. Jack didn't know all the details but it has something to do with Mark's deceased father, Alan Shadow.

Jack was brought out of his thoughts as a white car pulled into the driveway. The car stopped in front of the house and a woman with green scrubs, a beige overcoat, and long black hair tied back into a low ponytail climbed out. "Jack?" She asked.

"Mom! Heh, don't freak, I can explain." Jack said quickly.

"Can you?" Jack's mom, June Darby, said as she walked over to Elita's vehicle mode. "Jackson Darby, we've talked about this."

Inside, Jack breathed a sigh of relief as Elita was still in her vehicle mode. "Yeah, I know, and-" Jack started to explain.

"You don't know." June interrupted. "I worry about you enough when you're not here. Now I have to worry about you driving a sports car?"

"I'm 16. I can't be riding a 10-speed forever." Jack argued.

"How did you even afford this?" June asked, looking suspicious.

Jack mentally thanked Mark for the excuse. "It's actually Mark's." He admitted, getting a surprised look from June. "Mark has been working on it for a while but, you know Mark, he's more of a biker than a car driver. So instead of just letting it sit around, he decided to let me have it, as long as I pay for gas and promise not to total it." He walked over to the desk where a motorcycle helmet he had bought a long time ago sat. "The point is, I may have been a kid when I bought this." Jack put his hand on a motorcycle helmet on a desk. "But I'm not anymore. You're always telling me to make responsible choices, well, I chose her. And I'll be responsible. I promise."

"Her?" His mother batted her eyelashes. "I didn't think you'd be bringing girls home just yet." She teased him.

"I like to think she brought me." Jack countered with a grin.

"Well, I guess it's better than having to worry about you driving around on a motorcycle. But I expect you to wear your seatbelt every single time you go for a drive and no street racing, understand?" June asked, as she got closer to Jack's face to make sure he understood how serious she was being. Jack nodded in agreement. "You will take me for a spin everyone in a while?"

"We'll see, she's kind of temperamental." Jack joked as he flipped the light switch and pushed the button to close the garage door. The door came down in the light of the moon and Elita One slipped gently into recharge.

_**The next morning, at Jack's House, around 7:45 AM,**_

Elita grew tired of waiting for Jack to come to the garage and revved her engine loudly. "Shhh! Are you crazy? You'll wake up my mom." Jack said irritably as he was not used to being up this early on the weekend.

"Get dressed kid. It's go time." Elita said.

"Uhh, it's Saturday." Jack complained, as he wanted to sleep in.

"You can watch cartoons back at base with Bumblebee." Elita informed him.

"Cartoons… I'm sixteen." Jack grumbled a bit and walked back into the house to get dressed.

"And leave a note for your mom! She worries!" Elita called after him.

_**At the Decepticon warship,**_

Megatron was still standing before the Dark Energon, studying it, when Starscream entered the room. "I don't think you need worry about further Autobot interference, Master. Not with Optimus gone." Starscream reported arrogantly.

"And what evidence do you possess of this fact?" Megatron challenged.

"I destroyed the mine. As you instructed." Starscream reminded Megatron, who turned and didn't look convinced.

"Optimus is not so easily destroyed." The Decepticon leader stated. "We have millennia worth of battles behind us to prove it." He turned back to studying the Dark Energon.

"Maybe you should take a break, My Lord." Starscream advised. "I worry that too much contact with the Dark Energon might allow its properties to… adversely affect you."

"Or perhaps, Starscream, I have not permitted myself contact enough!" Megatron said before he ripped a shard from the large cluster of Dark Energon and held it up.

"Wait! Lord Megatron, no! Not your spark chamber! You do not know what it will do!" Starscream protested as he realized what his master was planning to do with the shard.

Megatron took no heed of Starscream's warning and stabbed himself directly in the spark chamber. He hunched over in pain, then straitened as a type of seizure overtook him. He screamed as his energon was transformed into Dark Energon and his eyes turned purple.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet was analyzing the components of the purple substance he had scraped off of Arcee when it began having an ill effect on the femme. It confounded him. Not in all his years as a medic had he seen anything like this. He couldn't even recognize what it was.

"Hmm…the base elements of this…goo are like nothing I've ever encountered." He said to himself as he went over the data his computers had managed to provide. "It must be extremely concentrated to have affected Arcee so rapidly. Unfortunately, complete results are slow-coming without the use of proper diagnostic tools. Thank you very much, Bulkhead." Ratchet rambled as he removed the slide from the hard-drive.

As he did, he unknowingly spilt some of the substance onto the diagnostic tool that Bulkhead broke when Agent Fowler was there. It seeped its way into the very wiring of the machinery and glowed a bright purple for a brief moment before moaning and groaning and standing on its newly acquired legs. But Ratchet didn't notice. With its only instinct to destroy everything in its path, the revived machinery approached the nearest object to destroy…

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter 3: Darkness Rising Part 3

**Transformers Prime: Reinforcements**

**Chapter 3: Darkness Rising Part 3**

_**On the road outside Autobot Outpost Omega One,**_

Mark was riding Arcee back to the Autobot base but had to stop at a stop sign.

The rays of the blazing desert sun danced with the elements of Earth. On the road in front of where the secret Autobot base remains hidden are Mark and the Autobot two-wheeled femme, Arcee. Her engine purred to life, eager to travel the world to the adventure beyond. However, they were currently at a stop sign.

"Tighten your grip, Mark." Arcee warned after she checked to make sure there was no one around.

Mark yelled in surprise as Arcee took off suddenly. Of course, per her advice, he held on tight. After travelling a little bit down the road, Arcee popped a wheelie and began driving on her back tire. Mark wasn't sure whether to be surprised that they're actually doing this, impressed with the skills Arcee possessed in her vehicle mod, or amazed about the fact that they are actually doing this.

"Whoa! Hey! What's with you, Arcee?" Mark asked with a slight chuckle.

"Figured you might like the ride without getting shot at." Arcee replied. Mark could almost hear the smirk in her voice.

"Oh, bring it!" Mark challenged as they travelled further down the stretch of road.

_**In another part of Jasper,**_

Not far from the Autobot base, Bulkhead and Miko were at the beginning of a downhill rocky terrain. Miko wanted Bulkhead to drive down that rocky hill at a fast speed for her own enjoyment. Bulkhead…well, he was a little hesitant about the task for a very good reason.

"Ready? Set?" Miko began the whole 'Ready, Set, Go' routine.

"Miko, I'm supposed to be protecting you." Bulkhead reminded her.

"Bulkhead, I'm strapped tight inside ten tons of metal muscle. I'm protected." Miko reassured the Autobot.

That was all Bulkhead needed to be reassured about: her safety. At high speeds, he began driving down the rocky hill. "WOHOOO!" Miko shouted. Her yells of excitement were music to Bulkhead's processors.

_**In yet another part of the desert,**_

Elita One was giving Jack a ride to the Autobot base McLaren MP4-12C Spider for with the top down but had stopped because of a red light. Using her mirrors and scanners to make sure that no one was watching them, Elita grinned. The moment the light turned green, Elita shifted gears and took off like a racecar, burning rubber as she did. Jack was caught off guard by this sudden start and the speed that he grabbed the stirring wheel.

"Hey! What's gotten into you, Elita?" Jack asked in a surprised yet excited tone.

"I thought you'd like to enjoy a ride without having to worry about being shot at." Elita replied with a chuckle.

"Oh, bring it on!" Jack said in excitement at the thought of racing through the dirt roads in Elita. Elita raced across the dirt roads, pulling off hairpin turns and other fast maneuvers.

_**Parked just outside the Base,**_

Unlike the others, Raff and Bumblebee were pretty relaxed in a secluded part of the desert playing a video game. In this game, Bumblebee and Raf were racing each other in a racecar championship. Raf was using his console controller. Bumblebee had the advantage of his own steering wheel…among other advantages.

As hard as he tried, the yellow car couldn't overtake the red car. In fact, the red car crashed the yellow car, which resulted in the words GAME OVER flashing on the screen. Raf moaned in disappointment. This proved, in fact, that Raf was the yellow car while Bumblebee was the red car. Bumblebee turned his steering wheel and bleeped to Raff something that was along the lines of 'I win!' whilst turning his steering wheel to emphasize his statement.

"No fair, Bumblebee! You've been driving a lot longer than I have!" Raf laughed.

_**Inside the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet was busy running his tests, enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasts. "Thank goodness for peace and quiet. House guests can be such a bother." Ratchet grumbled as he continued his work on the mysterious purple substance.

Suddenly, he heard a jingly sound of some sorts. Surprised, he looked up and around but he couldn't find anything. Thinking nothing of it, he resumed his current work. Then he heard it again. This time, it was louder. More intense. Closer. That startled Ratchet even more.

"Optimus?" Ratchet asked but then he remembered that Optimus was in the Energon Storage area working on processing the raw Energon they got from the now destroyed Energon mine into stable Energon Cubes. He heard the noise again coming from behind him. He turned and saw the possessed machinery rapidly approaching him. "By the All Spark!"

The possessed scalpel began jumping around, trying to attack and kill Ratchet. However, although he was a bit rusty, the reflexes he gained from being a medic on the front lines kicked in, allowing Ratchet to block the attacks. He even hit it with a metal bar he found lying around. He took numerous more swings at it. But the monster dodged each one. He eventually reached the microscope Ratchet was using before and sliced it in two.

Ratchet was not happy. It was the second piece of machinery that was destroyed in a short period of time. "I NEEDED THAT!" Ratchet cried angrily at the attacking monster.

He immediately backed up when the monster began making attack attempts on him again. Thankfully, this time, his attacks were stopped by a shot fired at the little monster. The little monster fell to the round weak. The shot that was fired came from Optimus Prime who had just finished with converting the raw Energon into Energon Cubes when he heard a commotion, arriving just in time to see the attack on his old friend. Ratchet melted in relief at his presence. After all, on numerous occasions, he almost had parts of him sliced off of his main design. Electricity cackled from the broken little monster. But it still managed to get back up…until Optimus stepped on it, crushing it completely and with no chance of it ever being revived, despite the fact that the machine had the Blood of Unicron coursing through its circuits.

"And stay broken!" Ratchet told the machinery before turning to Optimus. "Now what could have caused THAT?" He asked the last of the Primes, relieved that the whole ordeal is over.

"I have a grave suspicion, Ratchet: Dark Energon." Optimus answered gravely as the two looked at the sparking wreckage of the destroyed machinery come to life.

_**Onboard the Decepticon warship,**_

Megatron stood before the large chunk of Dark Energon as he recovered from the surge of power he had received when he shoved a piece of Dark Energon into his spark chamber. The experience had been excruciating and most likely would've driven a weaker Decepticon insane but Megatron was stronger than most. But the brief moment of insanity had been worth it as he now understood what Dark Energon could do.

"Lord Megatron…" Starscream said nervously, worried that saying the wrong thing would cause Megatron to kill him.

"It's as if the Blood of Unicron the Destroyer…flows through my veins. As if…I can hear his very thoughts." Megatron said more to himself than to Starscream. He reached into the container and tore off another piece of Dark Energon from the cluster. "I now know what I must do."

"And what might I do, to assist you, master?" Starscream asked hopefully. He wished to learn the secrets that Megatron had discovered but didn't want to risk his own spark to get those secrets.

Megatron glared at his first lieutenant. "Quit groveling and await my command." He said as he walked past Starscream to leave. Once he was outside, he transformed into his alternative mode and flew away from the _Nemesis_.

In the control room, Starscream and Soundwave watched Megatron's hasty retreat. However, Starscream hadn't noticed Soundwave's presence right away…

"Soundwave!" Starscream shouted in surprise before quickly recovering. "I fear that when our master reached for the stars, he came down with a touch of space madness. Lord Megatron has not been of sound judgment since his return." He stated as nothing Megatron has done made any sense to Starscream. "Increase global surveillance." He instructed the eyes and ears of the Decepticons.

"_Quit groveling and await my command."_ Soundwave played back a recording of Megatron's command.

"I'm not deaf!" Starscream protested before quickly calming himself. "But if Optimus Prime still lives, I believe it is in our master's best interests that we ensure our enemy's destruction." He pointed out and Soundwave made no further arguments.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Optimus and Ratchet were discussing what had happened while disposing of the remains. "If the residue Arcee found on Cliffjumper brought your broken equipment to life, it would stand to reason that the very same substance brought Cliffjumper back from the dead." Optimus stated as he closed the lip to the disposal unit.

"That would account for his life signal inexplicitly coming back online." Ratchet admitted but was still a little skeptical. "But…Dark Energon? It's so scarce as to be virtually non-existent! What would it be doing on Earth?" He wondered.

"It was transported…by Megatron." Optimus said grimly, knowing his old enemy far too well.

"For what purpose?" Ratchet asked, as it made no sense.

"To conquer this planet…by raising an army of the undead." Optimus answered gravely.

Ratchet chuckled briefly that the thought of that. "Well, Megatron would need to break quite a few toaster ovens. I mean, where on this world would he find that many Cybertronian dead?" Ratchet asked dryly.

Before Optimus could answer, they were interrupted by the sounds of engines drawing closer. They turned to see Elita One, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were returning with Jack, Mark, Miko and Raf. The humans were all laughing to their hearts content while the Autobots were all smiles.

"That was awesome!" Jack proclaimed as the Autobots transformed.

It warmed Optimus's spark to see his Autobots were getting along with their human charges but he still have much graver concerns. Elita walked over to Optimus, the smile on her face faltered with she felt the concern coming from her sparkmate through their bond.

"Thanks for the ride, Arcee." Mark said with a grin as he took off his helmet.

"Can we go again?" Raf asked Bumblebee excitedly.

"Sweet!" Miko cheered, before a rumbling sound was heard coming from Bulkhead's chest.

Mark laughed. "I think you forgot to take something out." He said as Bulkhead opened up his chest and pulled out Miko's guitar case.

"Oops. Sorry. Must have left that in the backseat." Miko apologized sheepishly as she took the guitar case.

"Autobots, prepare to…" Optimus started but trailed off when he noticed their new human friends.

"Roll out?" Arcee finished for him, thinking they had a mission.

"Remain here." Optimus corrected before turning to Ratchet and Elita. "Ratchet, Elita, you'll come with me." The two nodded with the medic went to get his gear together. "Arcee, we'll be outside communication range for some time. So I'm putting you in charge." Optimus stated.

"Dude, you're biggest. You should be boss!" Miko said to Bulkhead.

"He never picks me." Bulkhead stated. "Besides, I'm more into breaking stuff than leading people."

"Optimus, with all due respect, playing bodyguard is one thing. Babysitting is another." Arcee argued.

"HEY!" Jack exclaimed in offense.

"Besides, Ratchet hasn't been in the field since the war." Arcee reminded her commanding officer.

"My pistols may be rusty! But my hearing is sharp as ever!" Ratchet said, as he was getting real sick of young bots thinking he couldn't fight just because he preferred being at the base.

"For the moment, it's only reconnaissance." Optimus stated.

"Then why do I hear an edge in your voice?" Arcee asked suspiciously.

"Arcee, much has changed in the last 24 hours. And we all need to adapt." Optimus reminded the two-wheeler before turning to Ratchet and Elita, who were ready to go. "Ratchet, bridge us out." Ratchet activated the GroundBridge, which he, Optimus and Elita went through.

"OK, chief. So, uh, what's on the activity list?" Jack asked casually after the GroundBridge deactivated.

Acree rolled her optics in annoyance. "I'm going on patrol." Arcee said with a bit of an edge in her voice as she walked towards the main entrance/exit.

"But Optimus told us to stay." Bulkhead reminded her as she walked past him.

"When you're in charge, you can call the shots." Arcee shot back. "Bee, with me." She transformed into Vehicle mode. Bumblebee seemed to be a bit reluctant to leave Raf but changed mode and revved his engine. "Bulkhead, you're in charge." Arcee ordered before she and Bumblebee took off.

Bulkhead watched them leave before he could say anything. "So, uh…what's on the activity list?" He asked sheepishly as he turned back to the kids.

Everyone flinched when they heard the loud noise come from an amplifier. "How about band practice?" Miko offered as she set up the guitar.

"But we're not a band." Raf objected.

"Why so anti-social?" Miko asked Raf as she walked over to him. "Come on, Raf. Can you play anything?"

"Um…keyboard." Raf answered unsurely as he held up his laptop, showing a piano program.

"Laptops and symbols. Good. Jack?" Miko turned her attention to Jack.

"I sometimes mess around with the harmonica." Jack confessed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Do I look like I do country?" Miko asked getting if Jack's face. "Just cover yourself in fake blood and jump around screaming." She then turned to Mark. "So what do you got, biker boy?"

"I'm not much of a musician." Mark admitted with a shrug. "I'll be the group manager."

Miko grinned. "Let me guess, you're going to want fifty percent of all profits made, right?" She joked.

"I was going to say twenty-five percent, but since you're offering…" Mark countered with a grin.

Miko chuckled and shook her head before turning her attention to the remaining Autobot. "Anyway…Bulkhead, percussion, go for a big industrial sound!" Miko said happily. "D.I.Y! We're a band! You just gotta learn the songs. This one's a ballad: My Fist, Your Face!" Miko said before strumming the chords.

"That's a ballad?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"Well, it is considered a ballad in the world of heavy metal." Mark replied with shrug.

As Miko played, everyone else covered their ears…even Bulkhead. But they definitely unblocked their ears when the alarms started going off.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Bulkhead shouted over the noise Miko was making.

"Come on! You can't handle raw power?" Miko pouted not paying attention to anything but her playing.

"Proximity sensor." Bulkhead said. "Quick! Hide! Now!" He instructed.

Mark, Miko, Jack, and Raf hid behind Bulkhead's giant foot. Moments later, the elevator doors opened and out came a very upset Agent Fowler. "PRIME!" He shouted.

"Agent Fowler!" Bulkhead said nervously. "He's…uh, he's not here! Nobody's here! Well…except for me of course."

"Well, where did he go?" Fowler asked but held up his hand to stop Bulkhead from answering. "Wait! Don't tell me. He's out pancaking a mini-mall!" Bulkhead looked slightly confused as he didn't know where Optimus was. "Now I don't know what language you speak on your planet but Prime promised you would handle the Decepticons!"

As Agent Fowler went on and on with his little complaints fest, Bulkhead was trying his best to make sure that Jack, Mark, Miko, and Raf remained hidden from their unhappy liaison. However, the fact that Miko still had her electric guitar that was STILL plugged into the amp made it an impossible task.

"And blowing a crate in the middle of Nebraska is NOT what the world 'handle' means in English!" Fowler shouted. "So you tell Prime-!" Fowler trailed off when he heard the sounds of the electric guitar coming from somewhere within the proximity of Bulkhead and himself. Fowler knew for a fact that Bulkhead couldn't play guitar. That was when he noticed the amp, Raf's laptop, and the chords that were connecting Miko's guitar to the amp.

"Since when are you bots electric?" Fowler asked curiously.

Mark shot a worried glance to Jack, Miko and Raf. Bulkhead didn't seem to be able to think of a plausible excuse for an answer and Mark heard Fowler move towards the stairs. Thinking fast, Mark took the guitar from Miko. "Stay here, got it?" He whispered. The other three nodded their heads before Mark walked out from behind Bulkhead's foot with Miko's guitar. "Hey, how's it going?" Mark said as he waved casually toward Fowler.

Though he sounded calm, Mark felt anything but. He didn't know what was going to happen now, but he'd seen enough movies to know that he would be taken into Fowler's custody. Subtly, he shot a glance up toward Bulkhead who shifted his stance again to hide Jack, Miko and Raf better. The bot sent Mark a nod of thanks for, at the very least, protecting the other three and they both turned their attention back to Fowler.

"Contact with a civilian." Fowler said in exasperation. "Team Prime has really gone off book this time. Wait! Don't tell me! You're running a daycare center." He said sarcastically and Bulkhead once again struggled to come up with a response.

"Uh…okay." Bulkhead muttered nervously as he glanced at Mark while trying to think of something.

"I'm a student intern…" Mark said with vigor before he realized how ridiculous he sounded, but he had to try. "It's for extra credit in… robotics."

Fowler shook his head, as he wasn't buying it. "Okay kid, let's move. I'm taking you into federal custody. It's for your own protection." He said with a sigh as he moved down the stairs.

Mark quickly moved to the bottom of the stairs, hoping to stop Fowler's advancement so that he wouldn't see Jack, Miko and Raf. Mark saw Bulkhead was about to protest and was in the process of raising the foot that Jack, Miko and Raf were hiding behind. "I'll be okay, Bulkhead." Mark said, as he quickly shook his head no and walked up the stairs towards Fowler, making sure that the man's attention was focused solely on him.

Bulkhead quickly lowered his foot before Fowler could notice the other kids and tried again. "We're protecting him." He growled defensively.

Fowler laid a firm hand on Mark's shoulder and directed him towards the elevator. "Not anymore, and you can be sure that my superiors will hear about this breach in protocol." Fowler said before the elevator doors closed with Mark standing beside him.

Bulkhead turned to look down at the other three kids and sighed. Optimus was going to have his aft for this.

_**Meanwhile, in an unknown canyon area,**_

Optimus Prime, Elita One, and Ratchet were walking in a canyon surrounded by rocks. The place is that the fog seemed to suffocate everything and anything. Tall archways create a maze around the place. "Optimus," Ratchet said breaking the silence, "what do we hope to find here?"

"The sight of the largest Cybertronian battlefield in this galaxy." Optimus answered.

"On Earth? You must be joking!" Ratchet scoffed in disbelief. Elita shook her head at Ratchet's disbelief.

"Do you recall the period late in the war… when both sides began hiding their Energon spoils off-world?" Optimus began.

"Of course. It's the reason Energon deposits EXIST on planets like this one." Ratchet answered.

"It is also the reason battles came to rage on planets such as this one. And I fear Megatron's memory is as long as history." Optimus finished gravely.

"You think Megatron is going to use some Dark Energon to resurrect the warriors that fell during the battle fought here." Elita said grimly. Optimus said nothing but his silence was all the answer the others needed.

_**At a helipad on top of the Autobot Base,**_

Mark sighed as he got into the helicopter seat beside Agent Fowler. He looked around the cockpit and felt a bit nervous. He'd never flown before and knowing that this ride no doubt led to a government base did not ease his nerves. Fowler got into the pilot's seat and turned to Mark as the helicopter's engine started up.

"What's your name son?" Fowler called as the sound of the spinning blades overhead grew louder.

"Mark." He shouted back, not knowing whether he should give his full name or not. Fowler simply nodded and pulled the helicopter up into the sky.

Instantly, a wave of nausea hit Mark and he groaned as he realized that he was suffering from airsickness. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing as he heard Fowler use the radio.

"Sir…Agent Fowler. We have a situation. I'm in route from the Autobot base with a civilian. I'll brief you in person." Fowler said before he turned off the radio. He shot a glance at Mark and saw that the kid looked ready to hurl. He reached into the back and pulled out a bucket. "Here," he said offering it to Mark. "Just in case, you feel like tossing your cookies."

Mark took the bucket, nodding his thanks, and placed it between his knees, focusing on his breathing to keep from throwing up.

_**On the bridge of the Decepticon Warship,**_

Soundwave stood before Starscream, who was going over some reports at a control station, and played a recording of a transmission he had intercepted.

"_Agent Fowler. I'm in route from the Autobot base with a civilian. I'll brief you in person."_ The recorded voice of Agent Fowler said.

"Autobot base, eh?" Starscream asked excitedly as this was better than he had been expecting. "Humans…always the weak link. Fetch me this Fowler, so that he may brief us instead. As well as the civilian, I suspect it to be the either the one that was reported seen with Arcee or Elita One." Starscream said as he turned to Soundwave.

Soundwave didn't say anything as he dispatched the Decepticon Mini-Con called Laserbeak that always remained stuck to his form unless given a mission. Laserbeak proceeded to fly towards the coordinates of the humans they seek.

_**Sometime later, with the helicopter,**_

Mark was finally getting over his airsickness as Agent Fowler piloted his helicopter towards the military base. The quiet was suddenly interrupted by an alarm from somewhere on the control panel.

"Hey big bird, I'm flying here." Fowler said as Mark opened his eyes. Mark opened them just in time to see another aircraft appear in front of them. "What in Uncle Sam's beard?" Fowler said as he leaned forward to get a better look at the approaching plane.

Mark stared at the devious looking aircraft as it charged towards them with fear and alarm. "It's a Decepticon!" He shouted as it flew so close Fowler had to make a sharp turn to avoid getting hit.

"Oomph! First the freeways aren't safe, now air travel?" Fowler asked incredulously. Mark shot the man a disbelieving look. Now was definitely not the time to be making jokes. Mark looked behind them just in time to see the Decepticon pull up and brush against the tail of the helicopter throwing them slightly off course again.

Mark looked forward to see that they were heading straight towards a mountain of stone and that they weren't slowing down. "Wall! WALL!" He shouted as he grabbed his seat for dear life.

Fowler pulled back on the controls and they shot straight up into the air. "Easy, Mark, I know what I'm doing. This ain't my first rodeo, kid." Fowler assured Mark in a calm voice as they reached the top of the cliff and flew forward while hovering only a few feet above the ground. They kept going straight until Mark felt the helicopter suddenly drop down on the other side of the cliff and saw the Decepticon fly past them overhead.

Fowler quickly brought the copter up behind the Decepticon and Mark did his best not to throw up. "You want to dance Con? I'll lead!" Fowler shouted with a smirk as shot at the Decepticon. As Fowler chased after the Decepticon and continued to open fire on it, Mark saw that the bullets were causing little to no damage. The gun soon ran out of ammo.

The Decepticon suddenly shot up and Mark watched in horror as it came down and cut off the tail to the copter with its' wings. Warnings went off throughout the cockpit as they started to spin out of control, telling Mark what he already knew. They were going down.

"Never an Autobot around when you actually need one." Fowler growled as he tried to regain control of the aircraft and sounded only mildly distressed. "Kid, there's an emergency eject button under your seat!"

"I don't think I'll get the chance to use it!" Mark answered as he saw the Decepticon lunge towards them with tentacle like arms. Mark's eyes caught Fowlers hand move towards a flashing red button just as the Decepticon caught the helicopter, jerking them forward painfully.

A tentacle smashed through the windshield and covered both Mark and Agent Fowler in cuts from the glass. As Fowler tried to fight off the tentacle, Mark reached over and pressed the red button the man had been reaching for earlier and prayed that it would alert the Autobots about their situation. Mark shouted in alarm as he felt the claws of the Decepticon wrap around his left bicep and was pulled out of the helicopter along with Agent Fowler.

Mark and Fowler watched as the helicopter crashed into the ground below and they both looked at each other as they fidgeted uncomfortably in the Decepticons' grip. Being dangled in the air with only an arm acting as the anchor from being effected by gravity was painful. Mark felt as if his arm was being pulled out of his socket with every new twist and turn the Decepticon made.

"I should have stayed with Bulkhead." Mark muttered to himself, though he didn't really mean it. If he hadn't done what he did, Jack, Miko, or worse Raf could be with him right now instead. He looked at the massive alien ship that the Decepticon was flying to and realized with dread that he and Fowler were being taken to the Decepticon stronghold. And today had started off so cool with that awesome ride Arcee had given him.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

An alarm was going off like crazy at the base. Bulkhead walked up to the computer. "My ears!" Raf complained.

"It's an SOS." Bulkhead reported. "From Fowler!" He reached up to try to track it but using computers was not Bulkhead's field of expertise. He tried some buttons and it seemed to be working.

Raf, Miko and Jack all looked worried. "Did you trace it?" Raf asked.

"Location scan was incomplete." Bulkhead reported before shrugging it off. "Oh well." He started to walk away.

Jack looked at Bulkhead in disbelief. "'Oh well', seriously?" He asked.

Bulkhead turned around to look at Jack. "Fowler's a jerk." He stated as if that was enough of a reason.

"Whoa! Whether you like the guy or not, the Decepticons may have him _and_ Mark!" Jack reminded Bulkhead.

"And both of them know your location!" Raf added before realizing something else. "_Our_ location!"

"And who knows what the Cons'll do to Mark and Fowler to get them to talk." Miko said.

"But we lost the transmission!" Bulkhead argued. "They could be anywhere!"

Raf then got an idea. "Maybe I can narrow it down." He said as he sat down and got to work on his laptop. "About five years ago, the government started microchipping their agents. You know, like owners do with pets." Raf explained as he started typing in commands…but not without noticing the stares he was receiving from Jack, Miko and Bulkhead. "What? I saw it on TV! Anyway, if I can hack into the fed's mainframe, maybe I can pinpoint Fowler's coordinates."

"You know how to hack? But you're, like, 2 years old!" Miko objected disbelievingly.

"12…and a quarter." Raf corrected with a slightly smug expression.

_**Onboard the Decepticon Warship,**_

Mark and Fowler were brought towards a large Decepticon who didn't seem to have a face. The Decepticon that had been holding them dropped them into the awaiting hands of a Vehicon and transformed to attach its' self into the chest of the faceless Decepticon. Without a word, the faceless Decepticon walked out of their sight and the Vehicon holding them took them down a large and foreboding hallway.

Mark shot a nervous glance at Agent Fowler, who was trapped in the other hand of the Vehicon and was trying not to think about what was going to happen next. It didn't take a lot of commonsense to know that he was either going to be interrogated or used as leverage against the Autobots, most likely both. He could only hope that they were rescued before anything worse happened, like being killed.

The two humans were brought into a dark room that seemed to have only one light that shined down into the middle of the room leaving the rest of it covered in shadows. Chains hung down from the ceiling and Mark shivered as he saw them swaying slightly. He and Fowler were dropped onto the ground. They both looked up to see a new Decepticon standing in front of them.

Mark sucked in his breath as the light only illuminated parts of the Decepticon in front of him. He was tall, taller than any Decepticon he'd seen so far and he had wings.

"Welcome, Agent Fowler, and you too, boy." Starscream said calmly before directing his entire attention to Mark. "Tell me, boy, are you the same human who was seen with the Autobot Arcee or Elita One?" The Decepticon spoke in a voice that ran a chill up Mark's spine.

Mark was of course terrified of this giant, but there was no way he was about to give up any important information without a fight. He pushed himself off of the floor and into a crouching position in case he had to make a run for it, before he answered the Decepticon.

"I was with Arcee." Mark answered simply, seeing no point in giving out his name and he doubted that the Decepticon cared to know it anyways.

"You treat all your guests this nice?" Fowler said as he pulled himself off the floor and brushed off some shattered glass from his shoulders, hoping to take away the Decepticon's attention away from Mark. He knew it was fault that the boy was in such a dire situation. When he said "federal custody, for your own protection" earlier, Fowler meant it. The boy was his responsibility and he'd be damned if he let something happen to Mark.

Mark was startled when he heard the Decepticon chuckle but tried to keep it from showing.

"Any friend of the Autobots…" The Decepticon Seeker trialed off as he turned towards them.

Mark stared at the Con with fear and poorly timed curiosity. He was mostly silver with red and blue highlights throughout his armor. The Decepticon seemed to be built for speed and maneuverability than physical power. Mark was brought out of his musings by Fowler's reply.

"Autobot? That one of them coin operated wash my own car places?" Fowler asked with a shrug and a smile.

Mark grinned slightly, knowing that Fowler wasn't about to betray the Autobots anytime soon. He also finally understood why Fowler made jokes at inappropriate times. It was a defensive mechanism to cover up his worries or fears.

Mark looked back up at the Decepticon and found that he wasn't amused and had already caught onto what Fowler was trying to do.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be, hmm?" Starscream asked rhetorically. "Apparently, no one has told you I have no appreciation for human humor. Well since you don't want to talk, perhaps our young friend will be more accommodating?" Fowler's eyes became wide with horror. "Lock up Agent Fowler and make the boy… comfortable." The Decepticon ordered as he disappeared into the shadows.

A Vehicon appeared from behind Agent Fowler and took him out of the room. "Mark!" Fowler shouted as he saw another Decepticon advance upon the kid as the doors closed behind him.

Mark stared up at the Decepticon as it clenched its' fists and moved toward him. He heard Fowler scream his name before the man was taken away.

The Decepticon lunged for him and Mark jumped just in time to avoid being caught. He ran towards the Decepticons' feet and found several wires that lay hidden behind the Vehicons' armor. Without thinking, Mark drove his hand in between the joints of the Decepticon's ankle and pulled out a handful of wires with all his might. Sparks flew from the wires and a few burnt Mark's hand, but the way the Decepticon screamed made the whole thing worth it.

"It tore out my pede circuits!" The Vehicon shouted in disbelief as he crashed into the ground and moved to examine his foot.

Another Vehicon had grabbed Mark as he tried to run away again and, with a free hand, Mark tore out the wires in the Vehicons' wrist. Mark let out a small yell as he fell from the Vehicon's now non-responding hand and hit the ground hard. He shouted in pain as he landed on his feet before he collapsed onto the ground. He had little doubt that he just sprained both his ankles if the pain they were radiating was anything to go by.

A Vehicon once again grabbed him, though this one had made sure that both of Mark's arms were secured in his grip and was brought over to the chains. Though Jack was defiantly hurting, he continued to struggle and put up a fight. He didn't know where this side of him came from.

Mark was by no means a wimp, but, even though he was clearly outmatched, something inside of him had awoken. He needed to fight, as if he was born to do it or something. The Vehicon moved away from him once he was securely chained in place, hovering over twenty feet above the ground.

_**Meanwhile at the Autobot Base,**_

Raf was working fast and had managed to hack into the fed's computers, getting the coordinates from Fowler's tracking chip. "Latitude: 39.5. Longitude: -116.9." He told Bulkhead who put the coordinates into the GroundBridge controls.

Bulkhead activated the controls to the GroundBridge. "Okay, wait here." He told them as he walked towards the GroundBridge.

"Aww! Don't break up the band!" Miko whined.

Just before he entered the GroundBridge, Bulkhead turned back to the kids. "Uh… Jack! You're in charge!" He said before running through the portal.

"I guess we three have the run of the place." Jack said as he turned to Raf and… "Miko?" Raf and Jack didn't see Miko anywhere. "Miko!" Jack called but received no response.

_**At the coordinates,**_

Bulkhead exited the GroundBridge and found himself in a rocky area but didn't see any Decepticons. "Fowler! Mark!" Bulkhead called before he noticed something up ahead. "Uh oh. The whole Decepticon she-bang." Right in front of Bulkhead was the Decepticon Warship.

Bulkhead immediately realized that stealth was going to be the only way he could possibly rescue Fowler and Mark from the clutches of Starscream's within the Decepticon Warship. As a guard did his regular patrol around the perimeter, he didn't notice Bulkhead hiding behind a rock, much to Bulkhead's relief.

Unfortunately, Bulkhead's relief quickly vanished when he heard "Alright!" He turned to see Miko hiding behind a rock nearby. "What's the plan?" She asked giving him a thumbs up.

"Miko!" Bulkhead hissed before putting a finger up to signal silence.

Unfortunately, Bulkhead's warning was too late as the Vehicon guard had heard Miko and was now standing over her. He aimed his gun at her. Miko's eyes went wide in fear as she heard the gun charging up. "Oh. Unwise." She said as she realized that sneaking away from Jack and Raf was a bad decision.

"MIKO! GET DOWN!" Bulkhead cried.

Miko jumped over the rock and ran as the Decepticon fired. The shot shattered the rock. Bulkhead and Miko were just thankful that Miko managed to get out of the way in time. However, the Vehicons can't take failure. Their master would undoubtedly turn them into scrap metal when he learns of any failure caused by his Decepticons. So the Vehicon prepared to fire another shot towards Miko's rapidly retreating form.

However, Bulkhead wouldn't let that happen. He ran up and tackled him to the ground. Bulkhead pounded on the Vehicon a few times before the Vehicon managed the slash him with its sharp talons. Bulkhead backed up a bit but brought his arm up to block a strike from the Vehicon's gun arm. The Vehicon managed to swipe Bulkhead's face but the large green Autobot was not impressed. He punched the Vehicon in the face, causing it to fall on its back, before he jumped on top of it, pinning it down. When Bulkhead had the Decepticon pinned to the ground, Miko grabbed and struggled to pick up a big (compared to Miko's stature) rock, preparing to hit the Decepticon with it.

"Hold him still!" Miko requested before she hit the Decepticon with the rock only for it to do nothing but ding the Vehicon's armor a little.

But Bulkhead wouldn't allow her to get involved in the fight. He scooped her into his hand and gently tossed her behind a pair of rocks where he knew she would be safe from the Decepticon.

Miko stood up and rubbed her back side as she walked closer to the rocks so she could watch the fight as the Vehicon had managed to get back onto its feet.

"Miko, look away!" Bulkhead instructed as he and the Vehicon grappled with each other.

"But!" Miko began to object.

"Turn your head away!" Bulkhead repeated.

However, Miko didn't look away as Bulkhead wanted her to. Instead, she watched as Bulkhead used his bare hands to rip out the Decepticon's wiring and spark chamber. "Whoa!" Miko said as she watched in pure admiration.

_**On a road, several miles away,**_

Arcee and Bumblebee were driving on patrol when they received a call from Bulkhead. _"Arcee, Bumblebee, do you read?"_ Bulkhead asked.

"Loud and clear, Bulkhead." Arcee answered the incoming call.

_**Outside the Decepticon Ship,**_

"I have a situation…" Bulkhead said in a singsong tone as he cradled Miko to his chest as he hid behind some rocks.

_**Back on the road,**_

"Bulkhead, they're children! Humans! Just do whatever!" Arcee sighed in frustration…before she and Bumblebee suddenly skidded to a stop further down the desert highway. "You're WHERE?! SHE'S where?!" Arcee asked only to become furious at what she heard next. "MARK IS WHERE?!" She screamed. Okay, she wasn't furious… she was downright pissed!

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Raf and Jack were looking at the GroundBridge as they had just finished searching the base for Miko, realizing that she had followed Bulkhead. "What should we do?" Raf asked Jack. "Bulkhead may not even realize that she followed him."

Jack sighed in worry as he looked at the GroundBridge. "Miko hasn't seen the Cons in action like we have. She has no idea…" He said with worry.

Raf went over to the computer and checked it. "Those are the coordinates. Their destination is still locked in!" Raf told Jack.

Jack quickly decided on a course of action before sighing. "Um… you're in charge." He said before going to climb down the ladder so he could go through the GroundBridge.

"In charge of who?" Raf asked before hitting a button which activated the GroundBridge. He then ran to catch up with Jack who was entering the GroundBridge system. He caught up just as the machine had finished charging up and activated. Jack said nothing as he could tell there was no point in arguing with Raf coming along.

Back in the base, a comm sounded. _"Arcee to base, come in!"_ Arcee's voice said but received no response. _"Jack? Listen up we need you to bridge us back! Hello?!"_ No one was there to answer.

_**On the road,**_

Arcee sighed in annoyance before turning to Bumblebee. "Bumblebee, metal to the petal." She ordered before both of them screeched their tires as they took off for Bulkhead's location.

_**Back inside the Decepticon Warship,**_

Mark was struggling against the chains that kept him in place, even though he knew was useless, but feeling like he had to try. The Vehicons had moved to stand in a triangle around him and the doors opened up to reveal the commanding Decepticon from before. Starscream's eyes swept over the Vehicons and he spotted the sparks that came from the wounds Mark had given them.

"I leave you to guard a human and yet you fools can't even get that right. All of you get out of my sight." He growled before he moved to stand in front of Mark.

"Yes, Commander Starscream." The Vehicons said before they marched out of the room.

"Now, boy, I have one simple request that will save your family the pain of grieving." Starscream said as he circled around Mark.

Mark could feel the vibrations that echoed from Starscream's movement through the chains holding him in place. Suddenly Mark felt Starscream touch his chin and was forced to look into the Decepticon's optics. "Tell me the location of the Autobot base." Starscream demanded.

"Even if I knew where the base was, I wouldn't tell a grunt like you!" Mark said with as much fierceness as he could muster. After dealing with some of the punks at school, Mark knew a grunt with an oversized ego even though he was just a minion of someone else when he saw one and this Starscream was definitely on.

"_Grunt?_ I make the decisions here. I am in charge!" Starscream bellowed angrily before forcing himself to calm down and turning to a Vehicon guarding the door. "Bring the prod." The Vehicon guarding the door nodded silently before leaving to retrieve the item.

_**Outside the Warship,**_

Bulkhead was hiding behind a rock with Miko in his hand. "What's taking Arcee and Bumblebee?" He wondered aloud.

Miko stood up in Bulkhead's hand. "Dude, the Cons could be putting the clams on Fowler and Mark right now! Let's just storm the joint!" She said with excitement clear in her voice.

Before Bulkhead could respond, they heard the familiar sound of a GroundBridge coming to life nearby. "They're here." Bulkhead sighed in relief.

However, the people who stepped out of the GroundBridge were NOT Arcee and Bumblebee. Instead, the people who stepped out of the GroundBridge were Jack and Raf but they didn't look so good. Nor did they feel so good.

"Why don't those guys hang with their own bots? This is OUR one-on-one time!" Miko complained with her arms folded across her chest. Bulkhead sighed at Miko's attitude as this was not the time for thrill seeking fun.

"Are your bones vibrating?" Raf asked as he looked a little green around the gills.

Before Jack could answer, the two realized that they were walking towards the Decepticon ship. Unfortunately, they weren't able to run for cover as they had already been spotted.

"You there!" Vehicons exclaimed as they saw Jack and Raf, and began charging their guns.

"Scrap!" Bulkhead and Miko cursed at the same time.

_**Back inside the Warship's brig,**_

Mark swung slightly in the wake of Starscream's movement. _'Oh, smooth move, dumbass, pissing off your captor is sure to make him go easy on you.'_ He sarcastically congratulated himself on angering his captor.

Starscream and Mark only had to stare at each other for a few moments before the Vehicon entered the room and gave the prod to Starscream.

"I'll ask nicely one last time… the Autobot base?" Starscream inquired as he stood in front of Mark, sparking the energon probe.

Mark looked up at him and felt another wave of defiance come over him again. "Sure thing buddy, right after you kiss my ass!" Mark said defiantly as he looked Starscream square in the eyes.

Starscream growled angrily at the human's defiance before he raised the prod that glowed with a dark blue energy before jabbing it into Mark's chest.

"Aaaahhhhh!" Mark screamed as he felt pain flood throughout his body.

"As I imagine." Starscream sneered maliciously. "Energon and human nervous systems don't mix." He then continued mercilessly with his torture.

_**At Optimus, Ratchet and Elita's Location,**_

Optimus, Elita, and Ratchet continued walking around the sight of one of the biggest battles on Earth during the Cybertronian war that literally consumed their planet. They were still worried and slightly scared (Ratchet more so than the others in the scared aspect). They didn't know what to expect. But they knew that they would have to expect trouble. Especially with Megatron returning from his three-year voyage around space.

They finally reached their destination where they found the bodies of deceased Cybertronians sticking out of the ground, covered in dirt and rust. "For the first time in my life, Optimus, I had hoped that you were wrong." Ratchet confessed to his friend.

"That makes two of us, Ratchet." Elita admitted sadly.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of jets flying above them. They looked up and saw a familiar jet fly above them towards a rock. Once contact was made, the jet transformed into an old foe and that old foe is Megatron.

"Optimus! Been well? I see you brought your trusty watchdog. I was certain he'd be convalescing in a scrap yard by now." Megatron remarked in reference to Ratchet.

"Why don't you invite him down here for a chat?" Ratchet suggested as he punched his fist into his hand. Elita placed a calming hand on Ratchet's shoulder to let him know that Megatron wanted him to react like this.

"I know why you're here, Megatron." Optimus proclaimed.

"Hardly a surprise, Optimus." Megatron said with a grin. "After all, you and I have been at this for a long time. And your time has come to an end." He hoisted a glowing shard of Dark Energon for Optimus, Elita, and Ratchet to see before throwing it to the ground below.

Once the shard hit the ground, it disappeared below the surface. For a little while, nothing seemed to happen. Well…until the ground started cracking up and glowing a burning purple. Ratchet, Optimus and Elita gasped in shock as they realized what was about to happen. Megatron had stabbed himself with a shard of Dark Energon and now possessed its power… its limitless power.

"Rise, my army!" Megatron shouted as his eyes and circuits glowed the same burning purple as the ground.

Upon Megatron's call, from the ground rose many Transformers who were lost in the battle that occurred here eons ago. Their eyes and circuits below their rusted armour glowling purple. The shard Megatron threw to them brought back the dead Transformers buried underground in mass graves. Immediately, everyone knew that there was going to be trouble.

"By the All Spark!" Ratchet and Elita gasped quietly as more soldiers began to rise.

"Behold! The power of Dark Energon!" Megatron proclaimed.

Slowly, the army summoned by Megatron approached Elita, Ratchet and Optimus. Immediately, the three Autobots knew of the danger they were in. Because when a Transformer is revived by the Blood of Unicron the Destroyer, they have only one instinct within them. That is to destroy anything standing in their way. And standing in their way were Elita, Ratchet and Optimus Prime. Therefore, their instinct is to destroy their master's enemies…

Megatron laughed manically as he watched his army of undead Cybertronians slowly advance on Optimus, Elita One and Ratchet.

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Chapter 4: Darkness Rising Part 4

**Transformers Prime: Reinforcements**

**Chapter 4: Darkness Rising Part 4**

_**With Optimus, Elita One and Ratchet,**_

Megatron smirked as he watched his army of Dark Energon-powered Terrorcons rose from the ground and began to march towards the trio of Optimus Prime, Elita One and Ratchet. The three Autobots could only watch on in horror at what Megatron had just done. "Megatron has desiccated the resting place of our fallen ancestors, and his own!" Ratchet proclaimed.

"Not even the dead are free from his war-mongering." Optimus sighed in frustration.

"This time he's gone too far…" Elita growled as she raised her rifle upwards, aiming straight for Megatron's spark chamber.

Megatron was too busy admiring his work to notice as his army of undead ancient Cybertronians advanced on the Autobots. "At last…symbiosis! I can feel it!" He proclaimed loudly. "I now possess complete control over my army!"

Suddenly an energy shot struck Megatron squarely in the chest, right where his spark chamber was. The shot causing Megatron to fall on his back with a scorch mark on his Decepticon Mark.

Optimus and Ratchet turned and looked at Elita who had a smug grin on her face as she lowered her smoking rifle. She looked at the others who were surprised at her action. "What?" She asked with a shrug. "You know you enjoyed seeing that as much as I did."

Neither Optimus nor Ratchet argued as they did enjoy seeing Megatron being shot because he wasn't pay attention to his surroundings.

Megatron slowly got up not because of pain but because of the shock that he had been shot! _'That bitch dares to humiliate me!'_ He thought angrily as he stood up and glared viciously at the Autobots. "Destroy them!" Megatron ordered his army.

The army began closing in at a quicker rate but, before they could reach the Autobots, Optimus Prime unfolded his cannon from his arms and opened fire. Elita One also opened fire on the monsters. Unfortunately, the blasts had no effect but then again they were up against an army of **undead** Ancient Cybertronians.

"Optimus, if our combatants are already deceased, how can we possibly defeat them?" Ratchet asked as the army came even closer.

For once Optimus had no answer for his old friend. "Ratchet! Retreat! Bridge yourself and Elita back to base!" He ordered.

"Forget it, Optimus! There's no way I'm leaving your side." Elita shouted in outrage that her sparkmate thought she would leave him in a situation like this.

"I agree with Elita." Ratchet said firmly as he unfolded his blades from his arms. "Besides you may require a medic when this is all over."

As one, the trio of friends ran towards the oncoming army ready to attack. Optimus and Elita continued firing their blasters while Ratchet decided get up close and personal by slicing up the undead Transformers. Every the medic, Ratchet kept a vigilant eye on the details that some might overlook, especially in the heat of battle. This allowed Ratchet to notice that the enemies he had slashed apart with his blades were not getting back up. They were, once again, dead. Seeing this, Ratchet was able to come up with a solution to their current situation.

"I recommend dissection! The smaller the pieces, the better!" Ratchet advised Optimus and Elita.

"Sound advice, old friend." Optimus complimented as he changed his blasters to his blades.

"Leave it to Ratchet to quickly come up with a solution even in the heat of battle." Elita said with a grin as she put away her rifle and unfolded her own blades from her arms.

The Autobots began hacking away at the undead Terrorcons with their blades. They cut off limbs, decapitated heads from the bodies, and gutted the Terrorcons.

"I have mastered Dark Energon." Megatron declared. "When you fall, Optimus, you too shall join my army!"

Optimus growled lowly at Megatron's declaration. He tried to ignore Megatron's words as he ran in, slicing and dicing the army of undead Cybertronians. Elita and Ratchet were right at Optimus's side, helping to take down the Terrorcons. In all honesty, all hell was breaking loose.

_**On route to the location of the Decepticon Ship,**_

Arcee tore through the desert that made up Nevada with Bumblebee right behind her. She had just received a message from Bulkhead saying that he was just outside the Decepticon flagship, the Nemesis, with Miko.

Oh, and Mark had been captured by the Decepticons along with Agent Fowler.

She unconsciously increased her speed as she thought about all the terrible things the Cons could be doing to Mark. He wasn't her partner. How could he be? He was just a human kid, her charge, and she seemed to already be failing at her new role as Mark's guardian.

For a brief instant, her processor replayed the memory of finding Cliff's horn and a new image formed over that. This time she found Mark's bloody jacket and nothing more. She pushed her engine harder.

"(Arcee, wait for me!)" Bumblebee cried out, snapping Arcee out of her morbid thoughts.

With reluctance, Arcee eased up on the gas so that she didn't leave the yellow bot in the dust.

By the All-Spark, she couldn't lose someone she was responsible for to the Cons again. Her psyche wouldn't be able to handle it. She was bent, she knew that. Not yet broken, but it wouldn't take too much at this point. When she snapped, if she snapped, she didn't know what would happen, but she knew it wouldn't be pretty for whatever Decepticon that stood in her way.

She mentally shook herself out of her thoughts of how damaged she was and focused on the rescue mission. She would not lose another friend, be it bot or human, to the Decepticons.

She thought about calling Optimus and Elita, but they were even further away from the Nemesis than she was. She checked her position and saw that she and Bee were still about twenty minutes away.

'_If Mark is dead, I'll offline every single Con on that ship.'_ Arcee thought angrily.

_**Meanwhile, outside the Decepticon Warship,**_

Jack and Raf were being shot at by the Vehicons and barely avoiding getting him. As the two boys ran, Raf was knocked to the ground by a blast. Jack, without hesitation, threw himself over Raf, in an attempt to shield the younger boy from harm.

Luckily, Bulkhead sprang into action, transforming into vehicle mode and running down the Vehicons that were advancing on the boys. "Get in! Now!" He ordered the boys as he opened his passenger-side door.

The duo didn't waste any time. Raf jumped in first, followed immediately by Jack. As soon as they were inside, Bulkhead closed the door and took off like a bat out of hell.

"Thanks, Bulkhead." Jack panted.

"Yeah. Thanks." Raf agreed.

"W-What are you doing out here?" Bulkhead asked as he drove.

"We were worried about Miko. Have you seen her?" Jack asked worriedly.

"What she look like?" Miko joked as she popped up behind Jack and Raf in the back seat.

Bulkhead finally managed to find a good place for the humans to take cover behind. He opened his door. "Everyone out!" He ordered and the humans climbed out. "And this time, please wait here!"

Once the humans were out, Bulkhead drove towards the Decepticon warship. It was a daring maneuver but something had to be done if the Autobots were ever going to rescue Mark and Fowler. Bulkhead jumped into the air and transformed just before he crashed into the cliff face. Once his grip was secure, he started scaling the cliff face before reaching one of the sharp points that was part of the design of the warship.

Immediately, he jumped and used that sharp point to climb aboard the Decepticon Warship. When he noticed a Decepticon above him, he simply grabbed the guy by the ankle and threw him off the ship before jumping on. Instantly, the Decepticons fired, but to Bulkhead… they were easily scrap metal. In a matter of minutes, Bulkhead had 'taken care' of his Decepticon foes. He even did a body slam!

When the last of the Vehicons had been taken care of, he looked down at the rock he had dropped his human friends off at. He saw Jack and Raf watching the whole ordeal but he also noticed that someone was missing.

"Where's Miko?!" Bulkhead called down. The response he received was a banging coming from inside his chest compartment. He opened the compartment and Miko popped out, taking in huge gasps of oxygen as she was breathing hard. "Miko?!" Bulkhead squawked in surprise.

"I heaved on your floor mat. Sorry." Miko apologized before gagging once again as she suppressed the urge to empty even more stomach contents onto Bulkhead's interiors and climbed out of Bulkhead. "Remind me to never do that again." She requested as Bulkhead set her down.

Before Bulkhead could ridicule Miko about how reckless she was being, a Vehicon came out of nowhere and tackled to large green Autobot. Bulkhead, however, was able to easily take care of it. He flipped the robot above him and started pounding him into the scrap metal he is. However, when he looked behind Miko, he saw a door open and two more Vehicons step out, staring at Miko. Miko immediately realized how much trouble she was in and was wished she didn't stow away inside Bulkhead.

Luckily, for her, Bulkhead was right there and quickly reacted by shooting one of the Vehicons. Two more joined the two that had just came out of the ships. He withstood their blasts before running over and grabbing one of the sonar dishes on the Decepticon ship. He ripped it off and threw it at the Vehicons like a disk. Miko saw it coming a ducked down, just to make sure the flying disk didn't accidentally hit her.

With the coast clear for the moment, Bulkhead walked over to Miko, scooping her into his hand. A few shot hit him in that back as he cradled her against his chest near his spark chamber. Taking a chance, he ran and jumped into the Decepticon ship.

Down on the ground, Jack and Raf turned to face each other nervously. "Think they forgot about us?" Raf asked nervously, sounding a bit scared.

Jack shrugged and was about the answer when they heard loud stomping noise coming from behind them. The boys turned and saw two Vehicons reaching towards them.

_**Back with Bulkhead and Miko,**_

As Bulkhead entered the Decepticon ship, he grabbed the handle of entrance door and closed behind him as he fell into the ship. As soon as he landed, he began running through the hallways of the ship, trying to find somewhere safe for Miko, who was sitting in his hand looking as though she was going to empty her stomach contents once again.

Unfortunately, a pair of patrolling Vehicons noticed them and began to attack the duo. Bulkhead threw Miko underneath them. "WHOA!" She exclaimed in surprise as she slid across the floor and right underneath them while Bulkhead took them out with his hammer. Miko rubbed her butt as she got up on her knees. "I'm gonna heave again." She groaned as she suppressed the urge to once again empty her stomach contents.

However, she didn't have the time or the chance. Bulkhead scooped her into his hand once again and ran through the various corridors, looking for Miko's safe harbor.

_**In another part of the ship,**_

Jack and Raf were being held in the hands of a Vehicon who was following its companion who was a higher ranking Vehicon, a Vehicon Captain to be precise. "We'll take them to the holding cell. Commander Starscream is keeping the elder of the two other humans already captured there." The Vehicon Captain stated, not realizing that he was unknowingly giving Jack and Raf vital information.

Jack and Raf looked at each other with slight worry.

Suddenly, a car engine was heard moments before Bumblebee came out of nowhere and slammed into the two Vehicons. Arcee leapt into the air and transformed, catching Raf and Jack before they hit the ground.

"Whoa!" Jack called out in surprise.

Bumblebee transformed and joined Acree. "Bumblebee!" Raf cried in joy at seeing his guardian.

"_(Hey Raf! Are you two alright?)"_ Bumblebee beeped as he knelt down.

Acree looked at the two boys. "Appreciate you opening the front door for us, but storming a Decepticon Warship was not on the activities list." She reprimanded them lightly.

"Tell me about it." Jack said in agreement.

The four then began running down the hallway as they searched for Miko and Bulkhead. When they reached the end of a corridor, Arcee leaned up against the wall before turning the corner. As a precaution, she was pointing her gun in front of her and what she thought might be a Decepticon but it was actually Bulkhead, who had his own gun pointed at her.

"Friendly!" Arcee proclaimed.

"Hello!" Bulkhead said at the same time.

Arcee retracted her gun as she sighed. "Brought the humans, huh?" She asked.

"You try getting them to stay behind!" Bulkhead retorted as he gestured to Miko, who was sitting in his hand trying to look innocent.

"We need to find Mark and Fowler, and get these kids out of here." Arcee stated as she took charge.

"Uh." Jack said getting the bots attention.

"Fowler's in the holding area." Jack and Raf answered together.

_**In the brig of the Warship,**_

Starscream was not pleased. He had shocked the human boy with the Energon prod over twelve times already. Any normal Cybertronian usually cracked after nine. The boy twitched and jerked uncontrollable and his earlier wounds had only intensified through all of it.

His lesions had opened up more and his lifeblood covered his upper body. _'How interesting that a human's lifeblood is red.'_ Starscream had thought upon seeing it. At one point, Starscream had heard something pop in the humans' left shoulder causing the boy to scream out in pain.

Yet with all the damage the human suffered, he didn't seem to be any closer to breaking or to revealing where the Autobot base was. The boy was foolish. He had nothing to gain by keeping his mouth shut.

Starscream toyed with the idea of just killing the boy and move on to interrogating Agent Fowler instead, but decided against it. It now felt like a challenge to try breaking this boy, and he would not lose.

Still, he had gathered some information from the boy, even if the info was basically useless. The fleshling had gotten tired of being called human or boy earlier and had told him his name with a growl.

This Mark certainly had a backbone.

"You try my patience, Mark! Where is the Autobot base? If you don't tell me, I may just have to try my hand at Agent Fowler and I don't know how long he would last. In any case, I doubt he will be as resilient as you!" Starscream growled at the boy and saw a flash of worry appear in the boy's eyes. He then smirked as he thought he had found just what he needed to get the info from the boy. "You don't want me to do this to him, do you?" Starscream asked and, for a second, he thought he'd won, until he saw the boy smirk back at him. "I can have him brought to me with a single command, Mark, just as easily as I can end your life. Perhaps, I will do just that." The Seeker continued taunting.

"But that would mean I win." Mark countered.

Starscream's eyes flashed a dark red before he lunged at the boy and wrapped his servos tightly around the Mark's body. "You dare to challenge me, boy! All I have to do is squeeze." Starscream growled as he tightened his grip to prove his point. He heard the boy grunt in pain and watched in amusement as the child bit on his lip so hard that it started to bleed.

Humans were so weak.

"Then what's stopping you?" Mark dared as he panted heavily.

Starscream growled as he took a closer look at the boy. His body was bleeding and broken, but his spirit had only grown stronger through it all.

Maybe humans weren't so weak after all.

_**In the holding area of the ship,**_

Fowler cursed as he tried to get out of his chains again without being noticed by the Vehicons in the room. Mark had been stuck with that creepy Decepticon for a good hour now. The grunts in the room had already started a betting pool on whether Mark would live through his interrogation or not and his odds weren't looking very good.

From what Fowler gathered from the various mutters of conversations from the Vehicons throughout the room, Starscream was a pretty vicious and abusive boss. However, Starscream was apparently not as abusive as their leader, Megatron.

The Vehicons' attention and Fowler's turned to the doors when they opened up to reveal the Autobots. Fowler watched in awe as he saw the Autobots take down the Cons in a matter of minutes, leaving them as nothing more than piles of scrap.

"Hey bots! Over here!" Fowler shouted but then he saw that they had three new kids with them. "Three more civilians! Man, you bots really go that extra mile, don't you?" Fowler said in disbelief as Arcee lowered him to the ground and removed his chains.

"Where's Mark?" Arcee growled, as she wanted to find her human charge as quickly as possible.

"He's in the brig." Fowler answered as he stood up and stretched.

_**In the brig,**_

Mark panted heavily as he tried to catch his breath. He'd lost count how many times Starscream had prodded him, but every time it happened seemed to be more painful than the last.

"My dear Mark, you do realize the Autobots have abandoned you." Starscream said and Mark felt his insides freeze.

'_They wouldn't abandon me, would they?'_ Mark wondered. _'No, what am I thinking! Of course, the Autobots will rescue me. This is just a Decepticon trick to get me to give up what I know.'_ Mark thought with determination. He ignored the doubt he felt towards his own thoughts and clung to the excuse he had made up for himself.

"I'm not a traitor and the Autobots will come for me." Mark mumbled aloud to himself, forgetting where he was at the moment.

Starscream shot Mark an angry look at what he had heard, but quickly recomposed himself. He could tell that Mark's resolve was starting to crumble, despite the boy's brave words.

"I am the only one you can rely upon now." Starscream continued as he moved closer to Mark, offering an easygoing smile that he'd perfected from his years of lying to Megatron.

Mark looked at Starscream. A small part of him was telling him that he could rely on Starscream, at least to stop the pain. Mark shook his head in a useless attempt to get rid of his traitorous feelings. How could he be feeling this way towards someone who was hurting him, who was the enemy to his planet and the Autobots?

"So tell me what I want to know or…" Starscream trailed off and raised the prod threateningly towards Mark.

Mark stared at the prod with weariness and fear. God, he was just so tried. He wanted nothing more than to breakdown, to give in and to be left alone.

Why was he being so noble anyways? He owed the Autobots nothing… Wait, that makes no sense! They were his friends, right? Sure, he had only known the Autobots for three days, but so what. They were still his friends and Mark would never give up his friends.

Why should he give his life up for them?

Mark had never felt more lost and confused than he was right now. Suddenly, selfishness swelled up inside of him. Why should he allow himself be put through this pain for people who had apparently abandoned him? Rule number one: always look out for yourself.

Just as quickly as his selfishness came, it left, leaving Mark feeling ashamed with himself.

"Stop… no more…" Mark pleaded in a weak voice, just barely loud enough for Starscream to hear. "They're in a government base…" Starscream smirked in triumph at what he was hearing, until Mark continued, this time sounding defiant almost as if he was mocking Starscream. "Or was it an old steel mill? Or maybe it was under that carnival funhouse?" Whatever triumph Starscream had felt at the beginning of Mark's pleading had quickly turned into rage by the end of it.

The sudden pain surging through Mark's body told him that Starscream had not lied before. He really didn't have any appreciation for human humor. This time, not only did the pain feel worse than before, but Mark also felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. Before he passed out, Mark thought he heard sounds coming from outside the door.

Starscream had also heard the noise coming from somewhere on the ship. "Someone find out what is going on out there!" He ordered. The Vehicons standing guard immediately ran out to do just that.

_**Outside,**_

The firefight between the Autobots and Decepticons was still ongoing. And Jack, Fowler, Miko and Raff were caught in the middle of the little firefight. Bulkhead stood in front of them and fired back a few shots of his own. All three of them were destroyed by the shots he fired. On their other side, Arcee was doing a good job as well when it came to taking down the Decepticons that kept on attacking them. Same with Bumblebee. Whenever the four humans tried to get away, the Decepticons would open fire on them.

The firefight was becoming too much for them. It was suffocating. They needed to get out of there. Now. Right now. So they literally melted in relief when Arcee took down the remaining Decepticon in their little fight. Immediately, they took off running. Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee immediately followed them. Deep down inside, all seven of them were hoping that they wouldn't have to deal with anymore waves of Decepticons.

_**With the undead army,**_

Optimus, Ratchet, and Elita One weren't having much luck against the army of Terrorcons. Whenever they took down members of Megatron's army, more swarmed around them. They were nowhere close to having a facedown with Megatron himself. It was suffocating. And there was an undead Cybertronian ancestor everywhere they turned. There was no way out. Eventually, Optimus and Ratchet stood back-to-back as even more Transformers surrounded them.

"Optimus, this prolonged exposure to Dark Energon is sapping our strength." Ratchet observed.

"We cannot falter now." Optimus proclaimed as they raced ahead.

More undead Cybertronians were surrounding them faster than they could take them down. Eventually, they piled onto Optimus, pinning him to the ground. Ratchet and Elita both notice immediately.

"OPTIMUS!" They cried before they were also buried under the undead Cybertronians.

As much as they tried to fight, it was useless. The undead Cybertronian army consumed them.

Above the scene, Megatron watched in delight as his army brought down his enemies.

However, it didn't stay that way for long. Optimus managed to free himself from the pile with both his blaster and his blade, as did Elita using her own blaster and blade. They turned and saw that the enemy had pinned down Ratchet, who wasn't doing so well in fighting back.

The two Autobot leaders immediately went to help their old friend. Optimus grabbed one possessed Cybertronian in each of his hands and simply tossed them aside like scrap metal, after smashing the two together and actually turning them into scrap metal. Elita grabbed another and threw it into another approaching Terrorcon. Once they were taken care of, Optimus helped Ratchet to his feet.

Ratchet's earlier observation was becoming clear. The three Autobots were slowly losing their strength the longer they exposed themselves to the Dark Energon that surrounded them.

"After all these years, Optimus, still at the top of your game?" Megatron tormented as Ratchet, Elita One and Optimus Prime prepared for another attack. "My legion, FINISH THEM!"

The battle was grueling. There seemed to be no end for either side. But there was still hope for both sides. Megatron held onto the hope that he would finally defeat Optimus Prime. Ratchet held onto the hope that the army could be defeated despite their Dark Energon possession. And Optimus held onto the hope that he could save the Earth and help Megatron see the error in his ways and join their cause. However, some of those hopes are not to be.

_**On the Decepticon Warship, in one of the main computer rooms,**_

The Decepticons heard banging coming from outside. Once one of the Vehicons opened the door, he was shot in the chest by a blaster from the Autobots. In a matter of moments, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee had taken care of the Vehicons inside. Outside, Fowler Jack, Miko and Raf waited for the all-clear. They didn't want to get caught up in a battle like that did before ever again. Well…mostly Jack, Miko and Raf.

"All clear." Arcee proclaimed.

Once they heard the all clear, the four humans immediately ran into the computer room. They were relieved about the fact that they wouldn't have to deal with anymore Decepticons. That part was over…for now…

"Wait in here." Arcee instructed the humans.

"_(Are you sure this is a good idea?)"_ Bumblebee beeped in concern.

"They're slowing us down and easy targets. They'll be alright in here as long as they stay put." Arcee argued. Arcee looked at Fowler. "I want you to watch the kids and _stay here_." Arcee said and left with the other Autobots before Fowler could protest.

Fowler shook his head at the whole situation he had gotten Mark into. Had he left the kid at the Autobot base or not radioed his position for anybody to hear, then Mark wouldn't be stuck in this mess.

Fowler turned to look around the room, hoping to find some sort of weapon he could use to protect himself and the kids.

"That was intense." Miko remarked.

"Was?" Raf repeated in disbelief as he looked at Miko.

"It's your fault that we're stuck in this intensity. What were you thinking, Miko?" Jack demanded angrily.

"Did I ask you to follow me?" Miko retorted as if she had done nothing wrong at all.

"You wanted us to be a band! Doesn't that usually mean playing together?" Jack shot back, turning Miko's own words against her.

"Well, maybe I decided to go solo!" Miko snapped as she refused to be in the wrong.

"Well, maybe I have some regard for your safety!" Jack confessed.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Is your name Optimus?" Miko asked rhetorically. "You can leave my protection to Bulkhead! Thank you very much!"

Unbeknownst to the other two kids, their arguing was upsetting Raf. "STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!" Raf exploded as he ran to the ledge of the large step and sat down. He pulled his legs close to his chest with his arms wrapped around them as he began to cry.

Fowler stopped his search when he heard the outburst from the smallest of his charges and walked over to the kids but kept his distance for the time being.

Jack and Miko immediately regretted their little argument. They never wanted to make anyone upset…maybe each other. But they didn't want to make Raf upset. They both immediately felt guilty. This was their fault. They made the mess and they have to clean it. So they walked towards Raf and knelt next to him.

"Oh. Hey, hey, hey, Raf, it's okay." Jack reassured him.

"Yeah. We're gonna be fine." Miko promised.

"Our bots will come back for us." Jack assured him.

"They're gonna take us home, okay?" Miko added.

"How do you know?" Raf asked.

Neither could answer for sure.

That was when Jack noticed something on one of the computer screens. Figuring that this would be a good way of getting Raf to think about something other than the situation they were in, Jack decided to bring it to Raf's attention. "Hey, Raf, what do you make of that?" He asked.

Together, Raf jumped down the large steps to get a closer look at the Cybertronian equations that made their marks on the screens. Jack and Miko joined him looking at the equations.

"It's important. Really important." Raf observed as he looked over the equation before pulling out his laptop to try to hack in. Fowler had to agree as he looked at the equation as well.

_**In the brig,**_

"Wake up you pathetic lump of flesh!" Starscream shouted, instantly waking Mark.

"I'm up." Mark said groggily. His shoulder still ached terribly, as did the rest of his body. "So when's cookie time?" He asked almost deliriously.

Starscream growled in anger at the human's stupid question.

Suddenly the door opened up behind him and Starscream turned to address the Vehicon he had sent out to inspect the earlier noise. "Well?" He shouted and saw the Vehicon fall to the ground, revealing Bulkhead and Bumblebee. Bulkhead shot at the other Vehicon, who had been in the room, and moved into the brig with Bumblebee, both armed and eager to fire. Starscream quickly brought out his own gun and pointed it at Jack. "Not so fast." He growled and was rewarded with a tap on the top of his head. He looked up and saw the Autobot Arcee hidden above him, gun humming and ready to be fired.

"I wouldn't!" Arcee growled angrily.

Starscream smiled as he remembered that Mark was reported to have been seen with her. "Oh, but I might." He taunted back and his smirk widened as Arcee glared at him. Really, there was something attractive about her fits of anger. If he didn't know any better he would say that Arcee would fit in better with the Decepticons than with the Autobots.

_**Back in the computer room,**_

"We gotta get this to Optimus." Raf said as he looked at the formula.

Miko didn't look all that convince. "How do you know it's not a recipe for space nachos?" She questioned.

"I know math when I see it. And that is one serious equation." Raf stated as he worked.

"Can you download it?" Jack asked as Fowler decided to rejoin the kids and saw Raf already working on doing just that.

"The encryption system they have is way too complex for me to crack. I don't think I can download it either." Raf answered as he pulled out a flash drive. "Maybe if I can find a port for this, I can download it along with the encryption codes and the Autobots can break it."

"Sounds like a plan, little man. I'm Special Agent William Fowler, you?" He asked the kid.

"I'm Raf and these are Miko and Jack." Raf said as he searched for a port on the alien console.

"Hey." Jack said with a wave.

"Dude, what are you doing? You never give your real name to a fed!" Miko shouted from beside Fowler, who shot her an irritated look. So far, Mark, Jack, and Raf seemed like good kids, but he wasn't so sure if he liked the girl.

Raf ignored Miko as he looked at the Cybertronian tech. "I don't see anywhere to plug in. This tech is way alien." He stated.

Just then, the door opened and a Vehicon walked in.

"Let's go!" Fowler hissed as he grabbed Miko's hand and ran for cover. Jack grabbed Raf's and hand pulled him up and towards cover but the boy managed to get loose.

Raf ran back to grab his backpack that was out in plain sight. But he was caught by the Decepticon when he saw him sliding the straps up his arms and onto his shoulders. Immediately, the Decepticon unfolded his blaster and began charging it, ready to fire and kill Raf. Raf gasped in fear.

Fowler had let go of Miko's hand as they hid in an alcove and turned to look up at the Con, only to find it about to fire at Raf. Fowler was about to charge from his cover and pulled the kid out of the way of the shots, when Jack beat him to the punch. Just before the Decepticon began firing his shots, Raf began running and screaming. When one shot came too close, Jack pushed him out of the way and tackled him to the ground

"Miko! Take a picture!" Jack shouted.

"Great idea!" Miko cheered as she ran out and grabbed her phone. "Hey you!

However, Miko got the wrong message. Instead of taking a photo of the mechanical equations, she took a photo of the Decepticon that is currently trying to kill them. Jack and Raf groaned in frustration as they spectacularly face-palmed.

"NOT THAT! THAT!" Jack shouted pointing at the computer screen with the equation on it.

"Oh." Miko said quietly, causing Fowler to smack his forehead in irritation.

'_These kids are going to be the death of me, I just know it.'_ Fowler thought, as he made sure to grab both of the children before fleeing from the Vehicon who was in hot pursuit.

_**As this was going on, back in the brig,**_

They all stared at each other for a few moments and Starscream felt his confidence increase. The Autobots would not risk their humans' safety. Perhaps he should hang on to Mark a little bit longer then. He may be able to use the human as a bargaining chip in the future. The idea had merit, plus there was still the matter of breaking the willful boy.

"Now, Mark and I will take our leave." Starscream said and he watched with amusement as the Autobots shifted a little, whether from nerves or anger, Starscream could only guess.

"Yeah, Starscream and I have grown real close in our short time together. Heck, we're almost like brothers!" Mark said sarcastically as he warily eyed the gun aimed at his head. He had come to his senses once Bulkhead had fired at the Vehicon. He had watched the standoff for a minute before he realized that the Autobots were waiting for the right moment to attack, so that meant a distraction.

As Mark had hoped, Starscream shot him a look between revulsion and disbelief. Mark got the feeling that Starscream was about to go into a tirade about how a disgusting fleshling could never be his brother, before the Autobots opened fire on him that is.

Mark almost laughed when he heard Starscream scream like a little girl before the Decepticon weaved in and out of their shots and managed to get away. It looked like Starscream carried the title of being the fastest Decepticon Coward. Mark paused to reexamine this last thought, but gave it up as a loss cause. He was really hurt right now and he didn't have the brain power or energy to think about everything he'd experienced within the last hour.

"By the All-Spark! Mark!" Arcee shouted when she finally got a good look at the state he was in. Mark looked toward her as she moved to undo his chains as gently as she could. He bit his already bleeding lip to stop himself from screaming aloud as she jerked his left shoulder painfully. She brought him close to her chassis, supporting him with both arms, and showed him to the others.

"Scrap kid, they got you good." Bulkhead said in a low tone and Bumblebee let out some sad sounding beeps.

"I didn't tell them where the base is." Mark muttered with a small smile as he fell back into unconsciousness, proud of himself for being able to stay strong until the end.

"That's good, Mark. You did good, partner." Arcee whispered to him as Bumblebee transformed and she gently laid him in the back seat. "Let's go get Agent Fowler and the kids and get back to base." She said to Bulkhead and Bumblebee before she transformed and drove to where they had left the humans.

The Autobots soon found the other humans as the four ran out of the room they had been left in with a Vehicon hot on their tails. Bulkhead sped up and honked his horn, getting the Decepticon soldier's attention away from the humans. Fowler and the kids ducked as Bulkhead jumped over them and transformed, ready to fight. In a matter of seconds, Bulkhead had demolished the Decepticon that was trying to bring harm to them. He transformed and raced over to the kids as Bumblebee and Arcee arrived.

When Bumblebee opened his front doors, Fowler climbed into the driver seat while Raf took the front passenger seat. Bulkhead opened his doors and Miko and Jack immediately climbed in.

_**At the sight of Megatron's Undead Army,**_

Megatron watched as Optimus managed to fight his way through the Terrorcons and now stood on the ground before Megatron as Ratchet and Elita continued to fight the Terrorcons. "Bravo, Optimus." Megatron praised as he was indeed impressed. "Though this is but a prelude. You may wish to save your strength for the main event."

Optimus retracted his swords as he walked up to the wall of rocks that Megatron stood at the top of. He leapt up and grabbed hold of the rocks before climbing upwards. "You will not prevail, Megatron." Optimus panted as he climbed. "Now while Energon still runs through my veins." He managed to reach the top of the wall.

Megatron knelt down to look his enemy in the eyes. "Fitting for it is Dark Energon which flows through mine." Megatron remarked.

The response he received was Optimus's fist coming at his face. Sadly, he wasn't in the mood to fight with Optimus. As he jumped into the air to avoid the attack, he transformed into his alternative mode and flew away. Optimus fired shots at the retreating Decepticon commander but they all missed. Megatron couldn't be shot down today. He bent down, helping Elita and then Ratchet onto the stable ground. Elita and Ratchet had finished off the Terrorcons and climbed up the wall after Optimus to help fight Megatron.

"If this wasn't Megatron's endgame…" Ratchet started nervously as he looked down at the remains of the Terrorcons.

"Then what is?" Elita finished the question

Optimus didn't reply as he was almost afraid to admit what Megatron could be planning.

_**Later, at the Autobot Base,**_

It took a good half an hour before the Autobots returned back to base and, throughout the ride, Mark kept slipping in and out of consciousness. On the way to the base, Arcee had called Nurse Shadow. Once they entered the base, they found Sarah Shadow waiting with an old gurney that had been stored away. Fowler helped her placed Mark on it. She then began to administer first aid to her son's injuries.

Arcee had moved to operate the ground bridge, bringing back Optimus, Elita, and Ratchet, who had been calling to be bridged back to base for fifteen minutes. Ratchet's medic sensors must have been tingling because the first thing he asked when he was bridged back was who had been hurt. Once Optimus, Elita, and Ratchet had found Mark, Ratchet was quickly at the side of the gurney trying to help Nurse Shadow as Optimus demanded to know what happened.

The explanations seemed to go on for hours, but in truth, they only lasted minutes. Then came the moment where everyone tried to take the blame for what happened. Arcee for leaving the base with Bumblebee and ignoring his orders to stay with the children, Fowler for taking Mark out of Bulkhead's care, Bulkhead for allowing the children to come with him onto the Decepticon Warship, and Jack for not being able to keep Miko from following after Bulkhead.

Optimus stared at the dower and guilty party in the room. In truth, it was all their faults. However, had he not been so adamant on keeping his Autobots with their assigned children, none of this might have happened. It was just the way fate went sometimes. Even though a person can take every precaution necessary, things can still go wrong.

With those thoughts in mind, Optimus turned to look at Mark, a human who had bled for them today, and was currently being treated by his own mother, Sarah Shadow, who Mark himself had suggested bringing in on the secret.

Optimus understood that Mark would make an easier target to interrogate than Agent Fowler. Mark was a youngling; whatever defenses or attachments he had should have been easily broken, as children are often weaker than adults. The fact that Mark had not broken and given up the location of their base was astounding.

What was even more amazing was the fact that Mark had consciously decided not to tell. He could have easily saved himself from pain, but had decided to protect them instead of himself.

Humans were far greater than he preconceived.

"Well, he'll continue to have muscle spasms for the next few days due to how much Energon was exposed to his nervous system, but there shouldn't be any lasting damage." Ratchet reported, as he was the more experienced medic between himself and Nurse Shadow. "The lesions are mostly shallow and insignificant; the only reason for why he bled so badly was because of the thrashing he did while under the influence of Energon. He won't need a blood transfusion, but he will be a little light headed and dizzy for a little bit. He has a mild sprain in his left ankle and severe bruising on his right ankle. His left shoulder had popped out of his socket, but I was able to put it back in while he was sedated. He should be waking up any moment now."

"You've done well, Ratchet." Optimus said as he nodded to his medic and oldest friend. He then helped Ratchet put a brace onto his damaged arm and his friend shook his head in disagreement before he continued to speak.

"We are fortunate that Nurse Shadow was here and that his injuries were not more severe or complex." Ratchet confessed. "What little knowledge I hold for the human anatomy is shaky at best but Nurse Shadow was able to quickly explain things I didn't know. I see now that I must further my studies in human medicine, so that I can treat them if they need it in the future." Ratchet said as his optics landed onto the other children.

"I'd be more than happy to help you with that, Ratchet." Nurse Shadow offered kindly. "I'm also interested learning about some of your medical advances as well. Although it might not be all that often as I have work."

Ratchet nodded in understanding with a bit of a smile. He would gladly interact, whenever he had the chance to, with this human.

"What happened to you guys anyway?" Miko asked after she watched Optimus put on Ratchet's metal brace.

"We engaged an army of undead Cybertronian warriors." Ratchet said calmly as if it were an everyday occurrence.

"Zombies? You guys fought zombies and I missed it!" Miko shouted indignantly as she stomped her foot.

"What? Storming the Decepticon stronghold wasn't enough for you?" Fowler asked in disbelief as he looked at the girl.

"Bulkhead, you exercised extremely poor judgment in allowing the humans to accompany you." Optimus berated his soldier. He did not want a repeat of what happened to Mark to happen to the other children.

"It won't happen again Optimus. I promise." Bulkhead replied solemnly. Had he only fought harder to keep Mark at the base, the kid wouldn't be in the position he was now.

"But it wasn't Bulkhead's fault-" Miko started to say and was interrupted by Bulkhead.

"Miko, please." He whispered urgently.

"-and check it out. Recon!" She continued to say while ignoring Bulkhead. She flipped up her cellphone screen and showed Optimus the equation she had taken a photo of the computer.

Optimus knelt down to get a better look. "Hmmm, Ratchet, have a look. It may be of importance to Megatron." Optimus said as he moved back from Miko and turned to his friend.

"Megatron's back?" Mark whispered to himself from the gurney. He now realized that he had made the right choice in sacrificing himself to protect the others. If Megatron was as bad as he sounded… he didn't even want to think about what would've happened if it had been Megatron doing the interrogations instead of Starscream. He turned his attention back to the others in the room.

Ratchet knelt down and looked at Miko's phone. "I…don't understand." He confessed.

Miko looked at the photo and had to refrain herself from bursting out laughing. Instead of the photo of the mechanical equations, she had the photo of the Decepticon on her screen.

"Oops. That's the 'Con who tried to blow Raf away. At least, that's what he looked like before Bulkhead rearranged his grill!" Miko cheered as she did some air punches.

"Miko, Raf was almost killed today!" Jack shouted angrily. "This isn't a game! When are you going to get that through you thick skull?!"

"The Decepticons mean business, so stop acting dumb, and wise up girl!" Fowler shouted angrily as Miko's attitude was finally too much for him to take anymore.

"Um, Jack, we were all almost killed. You, me, Raf, Mark, Fowler, even them!" Miko yelled back and looked away from Jack, glaring at the floor.

"Well if this is just an average day with the Autobots then I don't want to be a part of it, not anymore." Jack said.

"That goes for me too." Mark said as he struggled to get up from the bed he was on.

Everyone turned to him and Sarah was quickly at her son's side as Fowler quickly handed him a pair of crude metal crutches that the Autobots made for the boy while he'd been unconscious. Mark staggered for a moment before he balanced himself and looked at the others in the room.

"Boys, putting you in harm's way was never our intent. However, it is no longer the safety of you four that is at risk, but the safety of all human kind." Optimus said.

Mark interrupted the Prime before he could say more. "Optimus, look at me!" He shouted incredulously. He saw the Autobot quickly avert his eyes, and Mark felt like punching something out of frustration. Mark was hurt, yes, but he wasn't just talking about physical his injuries. His mind and feelings had been through hell and back today. He wasn't going to tell them that though.

"What if it had been Raf that they'd caught instead of me?" Mark said through clenched teeth and Optimus quickly looked back at him in surprise. Mark was simply showing concern for the others and was using his physical state as an example for what could happen to the other children.

Optimus's spark bridled with respect for the young human who stood before him. Young Mark was a credit to his species.

"Had the Autobots been any later, I don't think I could have held out any longer. Even though I knew Starscream would have killed me once I answered his questions." Mark said quietly, as if softening his voice would make what he'd gone through easier to bear.

"Mark, you never should've been in that situation. If we had known, Optimus and I would've immediately left the battle we were in to rescue you." Elita said softly.

"I'm just glad I'm not going to have to explain this to _my_ mom." Jack said quietly.

Mark grinned. "Yeah, you'd probably have to wear large padded clothes every time you left the house." He joked, getting a laugh from Sarah and sheepish chuckle from Jack.

"That sounds like June alright." Sarah said, as her friend was definitely overprotective when it came to Jack's safety.

"Mrs. Shadow…" Fowler said as he approached. Sarah looked at the government agent. "I wanted to apologize one last time for what my actions caused. I had meant what I said about trying to protect your son and I failed."

Sarah sighed as she saw how guilty and upset Fowler was because of what his actions had caused. She wanted to be furious with him and the Autobots but seeing how guilty the man already felt, she just couldn't bring herself to stay angry at him. "You were just doing your job, Agent Fowler. Just remember to be more careful next time you do this." Sarah sighed.

"Boys, we will respect your decision if you wish to leave." Optimus said and it was now Mark's turn to avoid looking at Optimus. A sickening feeling swelled up in Mark as he realized how cowardly he must look to the other for running away like this. Honestly, he and Jack were leaving because they hoped it would stop the strange things that were happening to them.

Jack turned to Miko and Raf. "Are you two staying?" Jack asked, even though Jack and Mark both already knew Miko's answer.

"I'm staying." Miko said as she stomped her foot again.

"I'll be okay, guys." Raf said after he looking up at Bumblebee, though he seemed worried that his answer would upset Jack or Mark.

Jack laid a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder and smiled down at Raf, reassuring him that he wasn't angry.

"He better be." Mark growled toward the Autobots and saw some of them flinch, but Optimus and Elita simply nodded their head in response. Mark shook himself out of the strangely overprotective feelings he just displayed and turned to Fowler as the man walked towards him, his mother, and Jack.

Ratchet opened up the GroundBridge and, with his mother's and Fowler's help, Mark staggered down the stairs with Jack following right behind them. Arcee stood in front of him and, for a split second, Mark hoped she would try to convince him to stay.

"I know, I know, you don't exist." Mark said before she could speak as he hobbled around her and headed towards the GroundBridge.

"Don't make me hunt you down." Arcee replied quietly which was barely heard by Mark before leaving the Autobot base. Unlike last time, there was no hostility in her voice and she almost seemed to be reluctant to say it.

_**Back on the Nemesis,**_

"Please Lord Megatron! I meant no- _**Aaaagggghhh!**_" Starscream shouted as the ruler of the Decepticons hit him yet again. Starscream got up to his knees and wiped away the Energon that leaked from his mouth.

"I ordered you to await my command!" Megatron growled as the larger Mech clenched his fists and lashed out at his second in command again. Starscream cried out in pain as he crashed into the floor and slide several feet.

Starscream slowly pushed himself onto his hands and knees. He hated it when Megatron would beat him like this, but it was even worse to have an audience witness his humiliation. It wasn't unusual for Soundwave to be there as the eyes and ears of the Decepticons was always with his Master.

It was the times when the Vehicons were present that Starscream truly hated the most. He was degraded in front of them and then they went to tell any other Con they saw about it. Probably the only bots who didn't know that he was Megatron's personal punching bag were the Autobots.

Blearily, Starscream noticed some sparks erupt from different parts of his body and that usually meant a night in the infirmary.

"Instead your mindless agenda resulted in the disabling of my ship and the delay of my plans!" Megatron bellowed angrily as Starscream looked up and hastily pulled himself off the floor, away from Megatron.

Starscream immediately fell onto his backside, the damages Megatron had already inflicted upon him taking their toll and rendering him unable to stand at the moment. Starscream crawled away as he saw Megatron continue to advance toward him, vaguely hoping that his honest explanation might spare him from more pain.

"My intentions were pure, Master. I only wanted you to be rid of Optimus! _**Gaaahhh!**_" He cried out as Megatron's pede smashed into his upper body and he felt his chassis cave in from the sudden force.

"No one rids me of Optimus Prime, but me! _Do you understand?!_ _**Do you?!**_" Megatron yelled as he applied more pressure and Starscream felt the heat of more sparks cover his body.

"Lord Megatron… I will make things right, _I swear!_ I know how to set your plans back on course!" Starscream shouted in pain and desperation. He felt circuits being crushed with every passing second and he feared that his Spark would soon be next. He felt the pressure instantly disappear and he only had a few seconds of relief before Megatron grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.

Starscream stared up at his torturer in fear as his body shook from the damage his leader had inflicted. He found himself staring at the red optics of his Master and was suddenly reminded of the color that was human blood. Yes, Starscream supposed that it was fitting name for the color of Megatron's optics, blood red.

"Explain Starscream, quickly." Megatron commanded and Starscream saw no reason to disobey this order.

_**That night, at Mark's Home,**_

Mark was alone at home, as he thought over what had happened today. His mom was currently at work at the hospital, leaving him on his own with his thoughts. He was currently tinkering with some spare parts he had in the garage. He did this whenever he needed to calm down and focus his thoughts. He gained this habit from his father, Alan, as he did this same thing before he died years ago. Taking things apart and putting them back together was common habit to him. It always helped him feel better once the job was done.

Miko had already been by and tried to convince him to return to being a part of the Autobot team. He honestly didn't know her as he'd only met the girl yesterday, but she seemed to have a dangerous thirst for adventure. She was definitely a thrill seeker, the kind of person who got themselves and others in trouble or hurt. His suspicions about her were confirmed when she told him about her life back in Tokyo. The life she had… it was the sort of life some kids out there would kill for. Sure, it sounded a bit mundane, but that was the kind of life normal people wanted, right?

"_You protected me, Jack and Raf earlier today. If you hadn't gone with Fowler like you did, we could have been captured by the Cons too."_ Her words rang through his head. She had looked at him with awe when she said that and it sickened him.

When she said that he wasn't normal, it made Mark's insides freeze. He was normal, or he had been before today anyways, before he'd somehow gotten involved with a war he had no place in.

He was meant to be an average Joe. He would graduate from college, work a normal job, marry a pretty girl, and have a few kids. He wanted what every normal person wanted. He was done with the Autobots and anything else alien.

Mark gave his head a shake as he tried to forget about what Miko had said. The last thing he wanted was to go back to that life. His mother had already told him that she would respect his decision to leave the Autobots behind him but she was going to continue helping them whenever she could.

The Decepticon were no longer his problem as far as Mark was concerned.

_**At the Darby House,**_

Jack was sitting in the house's garage, working on his old ten-speed bicycle. The tinkering calmed him down and helped him focus his thoughts. He didn't know why, but taking things apart and putting them back together was common habit to him. It always helped Jack feel better once the job was done.

A car suddenly pulled into the drive way and Jack raised the wrench in his hand up to protect himself. The headlights turned off and Jack realized that it was only Bulkhead and Miko. Miko got out of Bulkhead and Jack went back to working on his bike, trying to ease his suddenly too tense shoulders.

"Now I understand why you had to rush home." Miko said as she walked into the garage.

"Don't you have something more exciting to do, Miko?" Jack asked impassively, hoping she would take the hint and leave.

"So this is where you hang, huh?" Miko asked rhetorically. "Back home in Tokyo, I have loving parents and two pure breed cats, Chichi and Ding Dong. I went to the best school and took piano lessons since I was three." She said as she fiddled with something from behind him.

"How nice for you." Jack responded apathetically.

"No, how boring." Miko countered. Jack turned to look at her in confusion. "It wasn't me. Why do you think I jumped at the chance to transfer here?" Miko asked.

Jack scoffed at her. "To Japer, Nevada? The entertainment capital of the world." He said sarcastically.

"Yeah, well, the brochure lied. Piano lessons were starting to look pretty good in fact, but then the last couple of days happened." She said in a burst of energy, her brown eyes shining at him expectantly.

"Do you have a point?" He asked wishing that she would just go. Nothing great happened today, yet Miko acted like it had been the best of her life. Did she not realize how close they had all been to dying earlier?

"You bet! I saw what you did today, when you saved Raf, when you saved me!" Miko said with excitement in her voice.

"I've been raised to be responsible." Jack said as he grabbed the wheel he'd been working on and slowly made his way over to his bike. "To my schoolwork, to my Mom, my job." He continued as he sat down.

"Dude, hear me out." Miko implored. "You're not a fry cook, you're a rock star! Stop trying to pretend your normal Jack, you'll never fit in. You were born to do so much more!" Miko said.

"Thanks Miko, but I think normal suits me just fine." Jack said in a harsh voice and Miko grunted in response as she walked out of his garage and got into Bulkhead.

Bulkhead pulled out of the driveway and left Jack alone to stare at his bike. He sat there for several more hours and just thought about what had happened today.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet was going over the data from the picture Miko had taken and what he had discovered was horrifying. "It can't be." Ratchet gasped. "Optimus!"

Optimus and Elita were standing nearby when Ratchet called so they both walked over to their old friend. "What did you find, Ratchet?" Elita asked.

"These are engineering specs for a Space Time Vortex Generator!" The old medic explained.

"Megatron is building a Spacebridge." Optimus realized gravely.

"If he hasn't already." Elita added.

"The sooner he leaves the better." Bulkhead commented as he and Bumblebee approached them.

"Bulkhead, a Spacebridge runs in two directions." Elita reminded the former Wrecker.

"Megatron may not be using it to leave Earth but to bring through his conquering army." Optimus proclaimed, his voice sounding even graver than before.

"The main event Megatron referred to. But the only place Megatron could possibly recruit that many fallen soldiers is…" Ratchet trailed off as it all dawned on him.

Elita also realized what Megatron was planning to do. "By the AllSpark… you mean he's going to use…"

"Precisely." Optimus answered ominously as his gaze drifted skywards. "Cybertron."

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Chapter 5: Darkness Rising Part 5

**Transformers Prime: Reinforcements**

**Chapter 5: Darkness Rising Part 5**

_**Optimus's Vision,**_

A large cluster of Dark Energon was going through the Spacebridge and crashing into the surface of Cybertron. "We cannot allow Megatron to send Dark Energon through his Spacebridge." The Dark Energon spread throughout the whole planet. "If we fail, the dead of Cybertron will rise." One Cybertronian dead burst its hand out of the ground. "Swarm through the Spacebridge's vortex." The Cybertroinian dead swarmed out of the Spacebridge and began wreaking havoc on a city on Earth, which looked an awful lot like Jasper. "And invade Earth, bending humankind to Megatron's twisted rule." The scene zoomed out of the city to show the whole United States in chaos. It then zoomed out even further to the see that it was happening all around Earth.

_**The next morning, Shadow Residence, Jasper, Nevada,**_

Mark was lying in bed staring at the ceiling, having woken up about an hour ago but for some reason his mind was still going over everything that had happened yesterday. Him and Agent Fowler being captured by the Decepticons, him being tortured, the Autobots rescuing him, his mother patching him up, learning of Megatron's return, and finally him and Jack decided they had had enough and leaving the Autobot base. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop thinking that he shouldn't have left.

Mark was pulled out of his thought by a knock at his bedroom door. "Mark, honey, are you up yet?" Sarah Shadow voice came through the closed door.

Mark looked over at his at his alarm clock and found that it was nine o'clock. He was late for school! He quickly jumped out of bed and began to take off his shirt when he realized that it was Saturday. He had to be at the city Scrapyard in a few hours. Mark worked at the Scrapyard on the weekends and, on the rare occasion, weekday afternoon. It was where he found parts for his old bike (the one that was blown up). The boss at the Scrapyard was really cool and didn't mind Mark taking old vehicle parts. His one request was that Mark told him before actually taking the parts as sometimes people have already placed an order for them. Mark just hoped that his ankle wouldn't stop him from working.

"Yeah Mom, I'm up." Mark called as he put on fresh clothes and headed for the kitchen. He found his Mom fixing breakfast, which was unusual. She usually didn't have time to make him breakfast, ever, since she usual had either the early morning shift every day as well as the late night shift every night at the hospital. "What are you still doing here, anyway? I thought you had the early shift today." He said as he went to the fridge and pulled out the milk.

"Well, I got someone to cover for me, but I won't be home until late tonight." She said as she placed waffles in front of him.

"Okay, but why did you want the morning shift off?" He asked as she sat down with her own plate.

"I just wanted to spend time with you." She said simply and he smiled at her.

"I love you too, Mom." He said and she gave him a watery smile. What happened yesterday had been a reminder to them both that terrible things could happen at any moment. She grabbed his hand gently before they returned to their meal.

Half way through eating, Sarah spoke up again. "Mark, I know you don't want to talk about it but are you sure that you want to leave the Autobots behind you?" She asked.

Mark stopped eating and set down his knife and fork with a sigh. "To be honest, no I'm not sure." He replied. "It's just that after what happened yesterday, I know for a fact that none of the others would've been able to handle what I went through and would've squealed. I know what I did was the right thing to do but at the same time…"

"You're scared that it might happen on a regular basis." Sarah finished for her son.

Mark nodded. "I know that's most likely not be the case but I'm just worried. Not about myself but about the others." He explained. "Raf is only 12. I don't even want to think what would happen if the Decepticons managed to get their claws on him. Miko… I don't really know Miko but from what I've seen she seems like an adrenaline junkie, always ready for a new thrill and adventure no matter how dangerous. She doesn't think things through, she just dives in head first without even checking to see if there's any water in the pool." He sighed.

"Both might be true but you also have to ask yourself what would happen to them if you aren't them to keep an eye on them?" Sarah asked as she finished eating, getting up to take care of her dishes.

Mark sat silently thinking over what his mother had just said.

_**A few hours later, at the City Scrapyard,**_

Mark grunted in pain as he walked around the City Scrapyard, looking for parts he could use to build a new motorcycle as well as doing some inventory. His mother had given him a lift to the scrapyard and made sure some of the other people knew about Mark's busted ankle. Originally, Mark was going to be helping with some of the lifting but the guys immediately had him go doing 'inventory' which was the job given to any injured worker that still wanted to work. As he made his way through the piles of mangled piece of machinery, he struggled not to put any weight on to his foot.

Mark had decided to forego his crutches, hoping to look less injured than he was. He didn't want to lose his job because of his latest adventure. He was still bruised and most of his upper body was wrapped in gauze, but hopefully it wouldn't impede his work.

As he went to step over a piece of machinery, he lost his balance and instinctively moved to put his weight onto his other foot. He let out a cry of pain and immediately brought his foot off the ground. Knowing that he was going to fall, he closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable pain he would feel as he started to fall back towards the ground. Before he could hit the ground though, he hit something metal first.

"Why are you walking around without your crutches?" Arcee yelled and he looked down at her in surprise. He stood and righted himself before he mumbled a thank you to her.

"Look Arcee, thanks for he save and all, but Miko tried last night. Tell Optimus that I respect him big time, but if you're at war with the Decepticons then there's nothing that I can do to help." Mark said as he turned to look away from her.

"Optimus didn't say anything and no one's asking for your help." Arcee stated bluntly.

"Okay, so if we both agree I'm not warrior material…" Mark trailed off as he looked away from her again. As much as he tried to ignore it, he was a warrior. He has fought to keep the bullies at school in line and he would fight for what he believed in. Even now, he was tempted to rejoin the Autobots just so that he could get some action. He looked back at the piles of scrap metal and grimaced, was he really ready to spend his days rummaging through scrap over fighting?

After that thought, Mark realized he was already changing. It seemed trying to stop the changes from happening was hopeless.

"Mark, I just lost someone I care about. Maybe it's the grief talking, maybe you're growing on me, whatever it is, I'm just not ready to say goodbye." Arcee said and Mark knew she meant it.

"I lost someone too." Mark said as he looked at her right side view mirror. It was true, as Mark had been helpless to watch his father die years ago and even now, there were times when the pain would resurface. "Maybe, I'm not ready to say goodbye either." He muttered as her engine turned on.

"Then let's head back to base, partner." Arcee said and Mark smiled fondly at the idea of having a partner.

_**Meanwhile, at KO Drive In, Parking Lot,**_

Jack raced on his bike so he could make it for his shift. He wasn't exactly looking forwards to another day of cleaning floors, washing dishes, deep-frying food, and dealing with rude hungry customers. However, if he wanted to save up for a motorcycle or car, he'd have to keep doing this. He had to now since he severed all ties with the Autobots (except for Mark, Miko and Raf) and one of the consequences in doing so was losing Elita.

"Nice ride." A familiar voice said from behind Jack.

Surprised, Jack turned around and saw Elita One in her sports car form in front of him in a parking space. Jack sighed in frustration. He knew that she would try to convince him to come back. But it's not gonna work. It never will. Jack is never going to go back.

"Elita, really, Miko already tried. Tell Optimus I respect him big time but if you're at war with the Decepticons, there's nothing I can do to help." Jack said apologetically.

"Optimus didn't send me and no one's asking for your help." Elita corrected.

"OK. If we both agree that I'm not warrior material, then why are you here?" Jack remarked.

"Look, Jack, the team just lost a member, who was a really good friend of mine." Elita said. "I know we've only known each other for a short time, kid, but you've kind of grown on me. I know it may just be the grief talking. That being said I'm not ready to say goodbye."

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet looked over the data he had gotten from the equation and his scanning equipment before coming to a conclusion. "Optimus, I've pinpointed the location of Megatron's Spacebridge: high in Earth's atmosphere." Ratchet revealed as he turned to Optimus.

"Out of our reach." Optimus sighed.

"Okay, so you guys don't fly, but can't you just GroundBridge there?" Miko suggested as she stood by Optimus's foot and gestured to the GroundBridge generator.

Ratchet rolled his eyes at Miko's ignorance as he had already explained this yesterday. "The GroundBridge has limited range." He explained. "Stretched all the way into orbit, its vortex could snap and scatter us to the stars."

Miko just stared at Ratchet, wide-eyed and mouth open is shock, as she had not expected that answer.

"Since Megatron is likely already in transit, I'm afraid we must take that risk." Optimus declared as he looked at the GroundBridge unit. "Reaching the Spacebridge first is our only means of stopping him."

Two familiar engines were heard coming in the entrance way with their horns sounding. The Autobots and kids turned to see that Arcee and Elita One had returned from their respective trips but they weren't alone. Each of them had a passenger.

Jack climbed out of Elita once she had come to a stop. "Hey, guess who's back." He said with a smile.

Mark was slightly nervous about his return, given how he had left. He looked up at Optimus as he pulled off his helmet and gave the Autobot leader an uncertain smile. "He's not the only one." Mark said and was relieved to see the slight smile that Optimus was giving him and Jack. He let out a breath he'd been holding and really smiled at the leader of the Autobots.

"Autobots, prepare for departure." Optimus commanded and the boys' smiles disappeared. Arcee and Elita transformed into their bipedal modes.

"Where to?" Arcee asked in confusion, as she wasn't expecting having to leave so soon.

Miko walk over to Mark and Jack. "The final frontier." She hinted with a smile.

Jack looked at her in surprise while Mark cocked an eyebrow. "Space? I thought they didn't have any way to get there?" Jack asked.

Bumblebee place Raf onto the floor, as the boy had been sitting on the Scout's shoulder. "Well, they don't, not really." The young boy answered.

Mark was glad to see both of the kids unharmed, but then again he'd only been gone a day. He then turned to Ratchet. "I thought you said that the GroundBridge has a limited range? That if it was stretched all the way out to orbit could cause it to snap and scatter you guys across the universe?" He questioned the Medic, getting a surprised look from Ratchet.

"How could you possible know that?" Ratchet mumbled as he handed Mark the metal crutches that he'd left at the base.

Mark looked up at the medic, giving the bot a disbelieving look, as he accepted the crutches. "Ratchet, you told me just yesterday when I asked out the GroundBridge technology." Mark answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He saw Ratchet now had a slightly embarrassed look on his face, as the doctor remembered telling Mark and Raf but he didn't think they had actually been paying attention.

Jack looked up at Elita and shrugged at her. "Be seeing ya?" He asked and she gave a slight nod as she walked over to stand with the other bots as Ratchet locked in on the Spacebridge coordinates and activated the GroundBridge.

"Be careful out there, Bumblebee." Raf said, worried about his new friend.

"_(I'm a scout. I'm always careful.)"_ Bumblebee assured Raf before heading towards the vortex.

"I'm so jealous!" Miko pouted at Bulkhead.

The former Wrecker held up a hand, signifying stop. "Don't even think about following me." He warned her.

"I'll be here when you get back." Mark promised Arcee, getting a nod and small smile from her before she went to join the others. Mark watched the kids say goodbye to their guardians and he shot another worried look at Arcee. She had better come back.

"Optimus, if you leave me stranded on a planet teeming with humans, I will never forgive you." Ratchet said.

"Gee, we love you too, Ratchet." Mark said sarcastically, as he used his crutches to climb the stairs to the raised platform, getting chuckle from the other humans.

Optimus also had a bit of a grin at Ratchet's words and Mark's comment. "Until we meet again, old friend." He said before getting his game face on, activating his facemask. "Autobots, roll out!" Optimus commanded.

Upon his command, Elita One, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee transformed into their alternative mode as Optimus transformed into the Peterbilt 932 Semi-Trailer. All of the humans were worried and didn't say anything as they watched the Autobots depart. After all, this was a dangerous mission. On top of that, as Ratchet said before, there is a chance that the GroundBridge portal could split and the five of them could be scattered to different locations in the universe possibly without a way back to Earth and their life as they knew it. They were risking a lot for the planet that has become their safe harbor after the Cybertronian war.

"Maximum Overdrive!" Optimus ordered as the trip through the vortex was the longest they had ever had and time was of the essence.

_**Earth's Orbit,**_

The GroundBridge vortex managed to hold together and successfully opened in space, not far from the Spacebridge. The Autobots emerged from it. "Autobots, transform…" Optimus instructed and they all switched to their robot forms. They got closer to landing on the Spacebridge. "And gravitize!" The magnetics in the Autobots' feet activated, allowing them to stay on the Bridge and not drifting off into space. Electricity cackled between their feet and the portal until they landed safely and were stable.

"W-whoa!" Bulkhead said as he had a little difficulty keeping his balance. Bulkhead wasn't as graceful as the others. He stumbled with his footing and would've drifted off into space if it weren't for the gravitational stabilizers all Transformers had in their feet. "Don't look up…or down…or left." He muttered to himself, but ended up doing all those things as he said them.

The Autobots turned around and saw the Decepticon warship coming towards them.

While the Autobots were relieved that they had managed to beat the Decepticons here, there was still the chance that the Decepticons would succeed in their plan despite the attempts to thwart them made by Optimus and his fellow comrades. But they were willing to risk it all to put a stop to Megatron's ways. Besides, they already risked being scattered away when they used the GroundBridge to travel to the Spacebridge in the first place. To them, what's another risk?

"So Megatron's packing enough Dark Energon to raise Cybertron's dead?" Arcee surmised in disbelief.

"And since we don't possess ready means of disabling this Spacebridge, nothing gets in or out." Optimus proclaimed as the five Autobots unfolded and cocked their blasters pointing them at the Decepticon Warship that was approaching them.

_**Inside the Decepticon Warship,**_

Megatron stared at his enemies pictured on the scanners. He couldn't help but chuckle at their heroic attempt to thwart his plans. Megatron thinks his plans are foolproof. That there is no way that he can be stopped.

"Optimus Prime never disappoints." Megatron remarked with a grin before glancing at Starscream and frowning. "Unlike you, Starscream!"

"No need for concern, Master." Starscream assured Megatron. "Soundwave is locking onto Cybertron's coordinates, per my instructions."

_**On the Spacebridge,**_

The Autobots waited but became confused when nothing happened. "Well, what are they waiting for?" Arcee asked, voicing what everyone else was wondering.

Optimus activated his optics' telescope function and saw there was a scanning dish missing. Where the dish had been, was a sparking panel. "It appears the Decepticons have sustained serious damage to their interstellar navigation system." Optimus observed.

"Huh? That's my handy work." Bulkhead recalled, as he was the one who tore off the dish during his fight on the Decepticon Warship.

"Nice work, Bulkhead." Elita complemented.

Optimus nodded in agreement. "Without the dish, Megatron will be unable to aim the Spacebridge at Cybertron." He stated.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet and the humans were listening to the conversations the Autobots in space were having. "Don't the Decepticons know where their own planet is?" Raf asked.

"Naturally." Ratchet scoffed before going on. "But Cybertron is many light years away. To reach their target, their aim must be astronomically precise."

"_But if Megatron went to the trouble of rendezvousing with his Spacebridge, he must have an alternate targeting system…possibly a__ remote one.__"_ Elita suggested over the communication.

"Hmph. From what I know of Earth's technology, I doubt there exists a single radio telescope dish on powerful enough to pinpoint Cybertron." Ratchet retorted in disbelief.

"Don't be so quick to dismiss human technology, Ratchet." Mark warned the medic. "We may not be as advanced as you Cybertronians but we do have our moments."

"What about a whole bunch of LINKED radio telescope dishes?" Raf suggested as he typed in various commands. "Like the Giant Size Ray in Texas?" He pulled up a picture of the military base and showed it to Ratchet.

"Zip tab bab dat! This is not child's play." Ratchet said as he leaned towards them and made a 'zip it' motion.

Mark noticed the other kids flinch, but he didn't moved a muscle. He almost glared up at the stubborn Mech. Raf knew what he was talking about.

"_Good thinking, Raf. Ratchet, contact Agent Fowler to alert the array staff to the security hazard."_ Optimus commanded.

Mark almost laughed at Ratchet's surprised face.

"No need to make any calls, Prime." A familiar voice said from the elevator. Those at the base turned to see Agent Fowler exiting the elevator. "What's the situation?" Fowler asked seriously. Once Ratchet explained the situation to Fowler, the special agent pulled out his cellphone. "Let me make a call." He said and dialed a number.

After a few minutes of Fowler talking to someone on the other end, it quickly became clear that they were already too late. Fowler hung up his phone.

"Ratchet, there's nobody answering at the base. They don't know where those men are, but the Cons have already locked the place down." Fowler explained. "My people can't get them out of the system. They'll keep trying to override them, but it's not looking good."

Ratchet nodded his head grimly as he understood.

Raf typed quickly at his computer as he tried to hack in but couldn't. "I can't get past the array's firewalls. They're too thick!" He proclaimed as he slammed his hands onto the table.

"You actually think you can keep the Decepticons out?" Ratchet asked in amusement.

Mark shook his head at the old bot. Raf had already proven that he wasn't average when it came to computers, so why did Ratchet keep expecting so little from the younger boy?

"Maybe, if I could get in." Raf said but didn't sound all that sure.

That was when Jack got an idea. "Wait, Raf, what if we could get you all the way in?" Jack asked as he placed his hand on the younger boy's shoulder.

"You mean like inside the building in." Mark said as he figured out what Jack was suggesting.

"I could log into their internal network on the other side of the firewall." Raf said. The two older boys smiled at the computer screen in triumph.

"_The risk is too great. The Decepticons will be there, perhaps even on site."_ Optimus argued.

Mark stared down at the floor on thought. They could do this, even if there was a Decepticon there. They had to do this.

"Optimus, with all due respect, you said it yourself. This is bigger than the safety of four humans." Jack argued.

"Yeah, if we let the Cons win; we're fragged, along with everyone else on our planet." Miko added as she agreed and wanted to do something.

"_Raf?"_ Optimus asked. Mark turned to look at the small boy.

"I want to give it a shot." Raf said and Mark smiled down at the boy.

"You don't have to worry about them, Optimus. I'll take care of them." Mark said in a hard tone.

Miko snorted at this.

Mark looked over at Raf and the small boy looked up at him in some sort of awe that Mark couldn't understand. With the crutches, he knew he certainly didn't look capable of protecting anyone, but he would do his best.

"If you kids think you're going to a military base where Decepticons could be on sight without me, then you're crazy." Agent Fowler said sternly, making it clear that he would be going with them.

Ratchet sighed as he activated the GroundBridge. Mark and Agent Fowler lead the others through the portal.

_**Onboard the Decepticon Warship,**_

The Decepticon forces were waiting silently for Megatron to give his orders. "Surely, Lord Megatron, the Autobots are up to something." Starscream advised, stating the obvious and breaking the silence.

Megatron turned and got in Starscream's face. "Really, Starscream?" Megatron gasped sarcastically as he got really up close and personal with his second-in-command. Starscream let out a nervous chuckle and smiled sheepishly before Megatron turned back around. He slammed his fist down on a button on the control consol. "CRUSH THEM!" He ordered.

Out of the hanger bay, dozens of purple and black jets flew out and towards the Spacebridge. The jets were called Eradicons, and they were the flying version of the Vehicons. The Eradicons began to swarm towards the five Autobots who are vastly out-numbered.

"Here comes the welcoming committee." Bulkhead remarked as the Autobots got ready for their fight.

_**At the Giant Sized Array, in Texas,**_

A GroundBridge portal opened behind the security fences of a facility that Jack, Mark, Miko, Raf, and Agent Fowler would try to infiltrate to stop the Decepticons from opening a Spacebridge portal to Cybertron, revive the fallen soldiers with the Blood of Unicron the Destroyer and wreak havoc on Earth. The five had to jump down slightly to get out of the portal. It closed behind them. Mark felt a little disoriented but only needed to shake his head to get his bearings. The others… well, they weren't so lucky.

"That'll take some getting used to." Jack remarked as he shook his head so he could stop seeing double.

"Whoa!" Miko gasped as she swayed back and forth, trying to get her bearings.

"Oh, I definitely shouldn't have had those doughnuts for breakfast." Fowler groaned as he held his stomach.

"Hey, shouldn't there be guards patrolling the grounds?" Mark asked getting everyone's attention.

Fowler immediately snapped out of his nausea and noticed it as well. "Something's not right." He said as the group of humans made their way towards the building. "Stay alert and stick together." The kids all nodded in understanding as they followed Fowler into the base.

_**In Space, at the Decepticon Spacebridge,**_

Things weren't looking so good for the Autobots, as more of the Decepticon Eradicons swarmed then the four of them combined could defeat. But that didn't tear them down. They kept going. They weren't going to stop. Even if hell started raining down upon them, they would never stop until every one of those Decepticons was defeated.

Optimus shot one Decepticon, grabbed his body, and threw it at another oncoming Decepticon, destroying them both easily. Elita was proving why she was called a master sharpshooter by shooting down various Eradicons. Bulkhead ditched his blaster for his hammer and started whacking heads off. Arcee, too, ditched her blasters. Instead of a hammer like Bulkhead, she used the blades in her arms, slicing and dicing the Decepticons until there was nothing left.

_**Back at the Giant Sized Array in Texas,**_

Fowler and the kids had managed to sneak into the base. They were inside one of the rooms that had a computer hooked up to the mainframe. "Security sure is lack in this place." Miko commented with a grin as she scanned the hallway outside the room.

"Probably because the Cons either tricked them into evacuating or eliminated them." Fowler guessed.

Inside the room, Raf was currently working his technological magic on the computer. "I'm in." He finally said. "And so are the Decepticons."

"What?" Jack asked as he looked over Raf's shoulder.

"How can you tell?" Miko asked.

Raf brought up some Cybertronian equations. "Schematics with the same alien math we saw on their ship, but this time I can download it." Raf said as he stuck his flash drive into the computer.

"It's gotta be the Spacebridge." Miko said and Mark simply nodded his head in agreement.

"The Decepticons are syncing it to the dishes, but I can sync to them." Raf said as he started to type furiously.

"They'll know." Mark said simply. His brief encounter with Starscream told him that the Con was smart enough to notice.

"Even if the Decepticons see that I'm in the system, they'll have no idea I'm in the house." Raf answered back, but it did little to ease Mark's fears.

_**In another part of the building,**_

Soundwave was right down the hall. He had already 'taken care' of the security personnel. He had plugged himself into the main control systems for the dishes to pinpoint the coordinates of Cybertron. He was close to triggering the array at Cybertron's coordinates. All he need was just a few more seconds and…

They were locked on Cybertron.

_**On the Spacebridge,**_

The Spacebridge moved slightly, causing Autobots shake as well. "What's happening?" Arcee asked.

"The Decepticons are locking onto Cybertron." Elita answered.

_**Onboard the Decepticon Warship,**_

The navigation computer showed that the Spacebridge targeting system was locked onto Cybertron. "Lord Megatron, the Spacebridge is ready for activation." Starscream reported.

"Finally." Megatron growled.

_**Back with the humans,**_

"They're locked onto Cybertron, but not for long." Raf said before working his magic. The dishes all moved back into their original positions, pointing at the desert and beyond.

_**On the Spacebridge,**_

The Spacebridge moved again. _"(Raf, did it!)"_ Bumblebee cheered.

"Indeed, Bumblebee, this can only be Raf's doing." Optimus agreed after taking about another Eradicon.

_**Onboard the Decepticon Warship,**_

Megatron was not happy with what had just happened. "Starscream! What is happening?!" He asked angrily.

Starscream was at a loss for an answer and decided to contact the one person who might know. "Soundwave, what is happening?!" He asked.

_**At the Giant Sized Array,**_

Soundwave received Starscream's transmission. On his monitor 'face', he pulled of the feeds from building's security cameras and began scrolling through them. He then found the problem. The humans were hacking in the network.

In the room, Raf, Miko, Jack, Mark and Fowler were gathered around the computer. "The dishes are heading back towards Cybertron! I'll just undo that again." Raf said before getting to work.

Now that he knew where the problem was, Soundwave released one of his tentacles from his chest. It made its way to where the humans were.

"What happens when the Cons realize that they're being punked?" Jack asked with concern.

"It only virtual combat, you know, like online gaming." Raf argued.

"Yeah Jack, what are the Con gonna do?" Miko asked. "They're probably like a thousand miles away."

"Don't just assume that we're alone, kid." Fowler warned as he had a bad feeling about this.

Mark didn't need any confirmation that the Decepticons were onto them now and he could only wait until they made their next move. He hoped the others were right about this battle only being virtual. Mark heard a slight noise and turned to look behind him to see a giant tentacle.

So much for it only being virtual combat. "Look out!" Mark shouted as it lunged at him.

Mark used his crutch to hit the limb that no doubt belonged to one of the Decepticons. His strike did little to the Cybertronian limb, it quickly grabbed him, Jack, and Miko before it flung them both at the wall. Mark groaned at the sudden onslaught of pain that his ankle was going through.

"I won't let them lock back on again." Raf said while the tentacle was busy with the others.

Fowler, being larger than the teens, tried to use his body weight to pin the tentacle down but it was stronger than he was and it threw him against the wall as well.

The tentacle then went for Raf, who just barely avoid from getting hit by hopping up onto the desk. Raf pulled out his flash drive and jumped over the computer as the tentacle took out the computer. As Mark and Jack got up to move to Raf, they saw Miko run at the tentacle with an axe. She tried to attack the tentacle only to get smacked while in midair. She lost her grip on the axe, which embedded itself into the ground, and flew back against the wall. The tentacle the grabbed the handle of the axe and pulled it out of the ground.

"Oh, nice one, Miko!" Mark said sarcastically.

"You handed it an axe!" Jack shouted in disbelief.

"Not good." Raf whimpered.

"This day just keeps getting better." Fowler muttered to himself sarcastically.

As the tentacle raised the axe, Fowler got in front of Miko and Raf while Mark got in front of Jack with his crutch in hand, ready to move, whether to dodge or to save the others.

Suddenly the tentacle began to retract itself. Fowler and Mark, who was ignoring the excruciating amount of pain he was feeling from his foot, chased after it. "Stay here!" Mark ordered the other three.

Unfortunately, Miko wasn't one for following orders as she immediately chased after them with Jack and Raf followed to try to stop her.

Soundwave finished locking onto Cybertron and, this time, he used the axe to cut the hardline to ensure they stayed locked on target.

Mark and Fowler burst into the room and saw Soundwave getting ready to leave. The Decepticon turned back to look at him as Miko Jack and Raf arrived. Miko, being the photo junkie she is, pulled out her cellphone, and took a picture of Soundwave. Soundwave in turn took a picture of the five humans.

Mark doubted Starscream had forgotten about him and Fowler, but now the Decepticons knew about Jack, Raf and Miko. Knowing exactly who was to blame, Mark used his crutch to bop Miko on the head as the Con transformed and flew away. "Ow! What was that for?!" Miko asked angrily.

"For being an idiot!" Mark retorted angrily. "The Cons already knew about me and Fowler, that's why I told you to stay put! But, because of your stupidity, that Con now has photographic proof of you, Jack and Raf! That means, they now know about you three and will be gunning for you!"

Miko's eyes widened as she realized what her rash decision had just caused.

Fowler couldn't argue with Mark's anger at Miko as he also figured it was her fault as well. "But why's he leaving?" He asked in confusion, as the five of them were easy targets for the Con to eliminate.

Raf walked over to where the axe was embedded into the ground. "He cut the hard line. The dishes are locked unto Cybertron… for good." Raf said sadly, as he looked up at them.

Mark sighed. It looked like their only hope was the Autobots now.

Fowler pulled out his cellphone. "Ratchet, its Fowler. We need a GroundBridge." He said.

"_What happened?"_ Ratchet asked.

"Everyone's fine but the Cons managed to make it so we can't alter the dishes target anymore. They're locked on Cybertron." Fowler explained.

_**Onboard the Decepticon Warship,**_

The Spacebridge was once again locked onto Cybertron. "Now, Starscream?" Megatron asked in annoyance after what happened last time.

"Now." Starscream said as he pushed a button, activating the Spacebridge.

_**On the Spacebridge,**_

The Autobots were fighting the Eradicons when the Spacebridge suddenly activated.

_**On top of the Warship,**_

Megatron rose up with the entire chunk of Dark Energon on his back. "At last!" He shouted. "RAGH!" He threw the entire chunk of Dark energon into the Spacebridge vortex.

Elita saw the chunk and began to take aim with her rifle, only to be tackled by an Eradicon. Optimus finished off an Eradicon and saw the Dark Energon coming towards the vortex. He unfolded his cannons and tried to shoot it off course but none of his shots hit. The Dark Energon went through the vortex.

The cluster of Dark Energon crashed on the Cybertron, spreading throughout the surface of the planet. It's dark powers fused with the bodies of the fallen warriors, bringing them all back to life, both Autobots and Decepticons.

Megatron was filled with the evil power of Dark Energon. "Arise my legion!" He commanded.

_**On the Spacebridge**_

"So, how do we beat a whole planet of the undead?" Bulkhead asked.

On the com-link, Ratchet called in. _"Optimus, I'm registering a rapidly large growing mass in their Spacebridge vortex, one with a Dark Energon signal."_ He informed the Autobot leader.

"Ratchet, we must destroy the Spacebridge." Optimus declared. "There is enough live Energon coursing through it to achieve detonation. But we lack the firepower to ignite it."

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

"If I knew how the Space Bridge was engineered, I might be able to find a technical way to accomplish that." Ratchet stated.

"Uh, would schematics help?" Raf asked as he showed Ratchet his flash drive.

"Optimus, I must say, the Spacebridge is our sole hope of ever returning to Cybertron. Are you certain its destruction is our only option?" Ratchet asked wanting to be absolutely sure.

"_I'm afraid so."_ Optimus replied on the com-link.

"Then by all means, let us light our darkest hour." Ratchet said.

_**On the Spacebridge,**_

"Autobots, take your positions and follow Ratchet's lead." Optimus ordered. They took off, leaving Optimus alone. "While I make my stand."

He spotted Megatron flying toward him. The Decepticon leader shifted to his robotic form and landed a few yards away from Optimus. "Your fellow Autobots are wise, Optimus. They know when to retreat." Megatron taunted.

"I hold no illusion about engaging your army, Megatron." Optimus revealed. "But I might derail its objective, by removing its head." He unfolded one of his swords.

Megatron just laughed. "Highly unlikely, Optimus, as I'm infused with their very might!" He boasted.

"One shall stand, one shall fall." Optimus declared.

Megatron released his own sword and made the first move. He jumped and attempted to slice Prime. But Optimus was quick to block it. Optimus tried to cut Megatron's arm off, but Megatron took a step back to avoid the attack. Since Optimus was close, the Decepticon leader elbowed him. While Optimus was recovering, Megatron tried to finish him. Optimus recovered quickly and blocked with his sword. He tried again to terminate Megatron. Megatron blocked the sword with his very arm. He charged for Optimus. Once he was close, Optimus used his available arm to punch him. Megatron was sent sliding away. Megatron used his sword to stop.

The both of them continued their sword fighting as the undead of Cybertron was getting closer to the vortex.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

"These things are getting closer!" Agent Fowler said as he watched the computer displaying the undead getting closer to the Spacebridge. "That's bad, right?"

Arcee spoke on the com-link, _"Ratchet, we're in position."_

"Arcee, pay close attention." Ratchet said sternly.

_**On the Spacebridge,**_

Megatron threw a left hook on Optimus' face. Then a small slice on his torso. Optimus shifted to defensive formation. Megatron simply sliced off his sword. Leaving him with a broken sword to defend himself.

He saw where the rest of it landed. As soon as he turned around, Megatron did an uppercut slice. He was airborne, but not for long. Because the moment Optimus' leg was seven feet off the ground, Megatron grabbed it and threw him to the ground. Face first and threw him in another direction.

Optimus was on his knees and hands. Sparks were all over his joints. Megarton approached him slowly, ready to execute the Autobot leader.

_"Master?"_ Starscream interrupted over the com-link.

"Starscream, what is it?" Megatron asked furiously.

_"I do not want to question your 'all seeing' wisdom, but I believe the Autobots are up to something again, beneath your Bridge this time."_ Starscream informed him, as on the Warship, Starscream was watching the four Autobots.

"Ah, misdirection, Optimus?" Megatron said with an amused grin. "You would have made a fine Decepticon." He continued with his attempt to execute him. Optimus used his broken sword to block Megatron's.

"I chose my side." Optimus countered. He pushed away Megatron's sword. He switched his arm sword to his arm cannon. Before Megatron can attack again, he shoots him, sending Megatron drifting in space. He fired a few more times, the blasts forcing Megatron further away.

Megatron transformed and retreated, fearing he might lose. "Starscream, my army approaches, rendezvous with the Spacebridge for pick up." He ordered.

_**On the other side on the Spacebridge,**_

Arcee was working on the controls hidden in the debris. The other three Autobots were standing guard around her.

Ratchet was talking her through it on the com-link. _"Now follow the line from the flow regulator to the Energon pump. There should be a valve."_ He instructed.

"I see it." Arcee said before she activated it so it revealed the lever.

"_Good."_ Ratchet continued. _"To turn all that power against itself all you need to do is reverse the current."_

Arcee pulled on the lever with all her might and it moved into the designated spot.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

Everyone waited for Arcee's response. _"Current reversed."_ She said.

"Yes!" Fowler cheered. "Right?" He looked at everyone else, as he didn't understand any of what Ratchet had said.

"I'll ready the GroundBridge." Ratchet said. He quickly moved over to the GroundBridge controls.

_**On the Spacebridge,**_

Megatron came flying in at the Autobots. They all tried to shoot him down. He evaded the blasts. He returned fire. He hit Arcee near where her Spark chamber is. The Autobot began drifting into space.

The Space Bridge began to shake and small explosion where being made. Optimus rushed for the edge. Megatron flew back to the vortex. His army was almost through the vortex. He transformed to robotic form and noticed that his Warship was nowhere in sight. "Starscream, where is my ship?!" He demanded to know.

"We would never make it, Lord Megatron!" Starscream argued from aboard the Warship, which had retreated to a safe distance. "Don't be a fool! Take flight and retreat!"

Optimus ran and dodging the explosions almost at the ledge. "Optimus, the Ground Bridge is ready and waiting." Ratchet said on the com-link.

"Autobots, jump!" Optimus ordered. He was the first to jump in.

Soon the other Autobots followed. Bumblebee jumped even higher to grab Arcee. They all made it in and the GroundBridge vortex closed.

_**Meanwhile at the Spacebridge vortex,**_

Megatron waited for his army to get through. "My legion." He said with despair, as he had been so close. The closest zombie Cybertroinian reached out its hand for Megatron. He realized the explosions were getting bigger. "No." Megatron said as he reached out for the army.

His fingertips touched the fingertips of the closest Cybertronian Zombie…

**BOOOM!**

The Spacebridge imploded. Followed by a wave of Energon that was released and disappeared.

_**On the Decepticon Warship bridge,**_

"Decepticons… it is with deep sorrow that I note for the log that Megatron's spark has been extinguished." Starscream said on the mission log. He then grinned evilly. "All hail…Starscream."

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

Everyone waited for the Autobot's return. "You think that they are…?" Raf started to ask but didn't what to finish the question.

Ratchet understood what he meant. He looked at the life signals. "Five life signals, one is very faint." He reported.

They were all afraid if it was their own Autobot guardian. Optimus was the first to arrive. Followed be Bulkhead. "Bulkhead!" Miko cheered. She hugged Bulkhead's hand as he knelt down towards her.

Elita was the next to arrive. "Glad to see you made it back in one piece." Jack said with a smile. Elita smiled back and nodded.

Bumblebee was the last to arrive with an unconscious Arcee in his arms.

"We lost one this week." Ratchet said, referring to the loss of Cliffjumper. "By the AllSpark don't let it be two."

Mark ran up to Arcee. "Arcee?" He asked quietly as he placed his hand onto her servo.

Arcee opened her optics. "Mark, really? There are other motorcycles in the world." Arcee said quietly as she looked down at him and he smiled up at her.

"True, but I could never find a better partner." Mark said and she smiled back at him.

"And Megatron?" Ratchet asked Optimus.

"Not even he could have survived Ground 0." Optimus declared.

"Prime!" Fowler shouted. They turned to see him heading for the elevator. "I don't have time to thank you Bots for what you have done. I owe you one. The whole world does." He entered the elevator and went up to the surface.

Miko then realized something and walked over towards Optimus. "So…is this the part where you say, 'Goodbye' and tell us to forget that we ever saw you." She asked.

Optimus thought it over for a few moments. "No." He said.

_**Optimus's message log,**_

_Without a means of leaving this world, we Autobots take strength in the bonds we have forged, with our four new friends, true warriors, if not in body, then in spirit. My name is Optimus Prime and I send this message. Though we did not chose to be of Earth, it would seem we are here to stay. If you approach this planet with hostile intent, know this, we will defend ourselves. We will defend the humanity. We will defend our home._

**To Be Continued…**


	6. Chapter 6: Master and Student

_**Author's Note**__**: I will be introducing some new characters that you might recognize from the Michael Bay Movie saga as well as another famous comic book character you should recognize. They may play a role somewhere down the line, or not, I haven't quite decided yet.**_

**Transformers Prime: Reinforcements**

**Chapter 6: Master and Student**

_**The day after the Spacebridge's Destruction**_

Mark stood at the Autobot Base with Special Agent Fowler. Apparently, Fowler had told his superiors about his and Mark's incarceration by the Decepticons and they were less than thrilled to learn that the Autobots existence was now a secret they shared with a seventeen-year-old civilian. Fortunately, Agent Fowler had thought it best not to let them know about Jack, Miko, and Raf just yet, which everyone else agreed on.

Mark was standing on the raised platform in front of several monitors as Fowler's superiors wanted to meet him, via a video conference. "Okay Mark, allow me to introduce you to Generals Bryce, Morshower, Fury and McKenzie, as well as Colonel William Lennox." Fowler introduced each individual who nodded when his name was said. "Sirs, this is Mark Shadow, the, uh, civilian who was interrogated by the Decepticon Starscream." Mark was slightly nervous about meeting the military men.

However three of the men weren't very impressive looking; in fact they seemed to be well past their prime. General Fury could be considered intimidating, especially with that patch over his left eye, and Colonel Lennox looked to be in his prime. Even if all of them had been sterner looking, Mark doubted he would have felt very intimidated. After the past few days, Mark has been having, he doubted he would ever be afraid of another human being again.

The four Generals stared at Mark through their side of the screen and he tried not to fidget under their gaze. They weren't frightening, true, but they were powerful in their own ways.

Fowler had told them only two days ago in detail about Mark's interrogation, which had happened four days ago. Reports of his injuries had been made and the decision about what to do now fell upon their shoulders, something some of the Autobots weren't too happy about.

Bulkhead, surprising, was the firmest in his arguments about involving the Generals. He'd said that the Cons were an Autobot problem, not a human one and that they should be the ones to decide how they would handle things with Mark.

Mark didn't really understand what needed to be handled. Sure, he'd been kidnapped by the Cons, and yes he'd been tortured, but that was over now. What was there to discuss? He'd already told the Autobots and Agent Fowler what happened in the brig, and the cover story had worked out well. For appearances sake, Agent Fowler arrived at the Shadow residence the day after Mark had been supposedly attacked by a street gang, to return his stolen motorcycle.

Most of his injuries had healed, though some of his larger cuts were just in the scabbing stages and Mark still required the use of a crutch for his healing ankle. Overall, Mark was doing better and the only thing he wanted to do now was put the whole fiasco behind him.

"_Mr. Shadow, it's nice to finally meet you, we've read a lot about you."_ General Bryce started off warmly enough.

"_How are you son?"_ General Morshower asked. The man's voice was deep and caring. It reminded Mark a bit of Optimus. He looked over at the Autobot leader and saw the Prime staring hard at the screen. In fact, all of the Autobots were watching the scene before them intently. They stood out of the Generals' visions, but to Mark they seemed ready to make their presence known should they need to.

"I'm fine sir." Mark replied dully. That question had been asked so many times that Mark's response had become second nature.

"_Shadow… are you any relations to Alan Shadow?"_ Colonel Lennox asked curiously.

"Yes sir, he was my father." Mark replied.

Lennox nodded. _"He and I grew up in the same neighborhood. We were good friends and kept in touch until his…passing. He was a good man."_ He said calmly.

Mark smiled weakly.

"_Let's get back on topic shall we."_ General McKenzie said in a slightly dark and firm tone.

"_We understand that you've have a rough couple of days son, but can you tell us exactly what you went through approximately four days ago?"_ Morshower requested.

Mark sighed before he repeated what had happened to him while onboard the Decepticon Warship. He tried to keep his words as flat as he could and could tell that his attempt at passiveness unsettled a few of the Generals, but Mark just continued to speak that way. While he did have some negative feelings about his torture, he was trying to remain strong for the sake of the others.

"_And none of this bothers you, Mr. Shadow?"_ General Bryce questioned uncertainly.

Suddenly the unemotional face of General Fury changed to a grin. _"Don't let the kid's attempt at impassiveness get to you, Bryce."_ He said with a grin. _"The kid's just trying to act strong so others don't worry or feel guilty about what he went through."_

Mark looked at the African America General in surprise. It was as if the man had seen right through him.

Fury chuckled. _"I've been at this game a long time kid, so I know a mask when I see one."_ He answered Mark's unasked question.

"_Not wanting others to worry about you? You must've gotten that from your father."_ Lennox said with a grin.

Mark smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

"_Anyway, Mr. Shadow, __for suffering injuries while protecting your country and its secrets we've decided to compensate you for your actions. A total of five hundred thousand dollars has been wired into a new account for you as well as government clearance to be a part of the Autobot Secrecy Program. Do you find these terms acceptable?"_ Morshower asked.

Mark gapped inwardly at the amount of money he'd just been offered and all he had to do was keep his mouth shut about the Autobots. "What does the government clearance entail exactly?" Mark asked curiously, trying not to show anyone, how pleased he was with the government's hand at bribery.

"_It simply means that even though you are a civilian, you will be allowed to continue interacting with the Autobots."_ General Bryce explained. _"Your clearance level will also grant you asylum in any government base, should you need it."_

"Hmmm, it seems fine to me, but I would like one other thing." Mark replied and he smirked as he saw McKenzie's jaw clench.

"_And that would be…?"_ Morshower asked.

"I would like a ride in a fighter plane with Agent Fowler." Mark said with a grin.

Lennox chuckled. _"You are definitely Alan's kid."_ He said.

_**Two Days Later, On the Bridge of the Decepticon Warship,**_

Starscream stood on the bridge at the command station watching the recording of the Spacebridge's destruction. "Such a shame, but I applaud you Megatron. You certainly made a grand exit." Starscream said as he watched the recording of the Spacebridge's destruction and his former master's demise. He simply couldn't believe that he was finally free, that he was now ruler of the Decepticons.

Too bad the rest of the Decepticon faction didn't shared that same relief as Starscream. Most of them were in disbelief at Megatron's destruction.

Starscream shut it off and turned as he heard the sonar-like sound Soundwave was fond of emitting from behind him and saw the Communications Officer approach _him_, Starscream, Lord and Master of the Decepticons. _'Oh, that has such a nice ring to it.'_ Starscream thought cockily before addressing Soundwave. "Ah Soundwave, cue the audio visual, I wish to address the troops." The Seeker commanded. He was pleased to see that Soundwave didn't hesitate to obey the order. _'Good, perhaps gaining his loyalty will not be as hard as I originally assumed.'_ Starscream thought before turning to the monitor, forcing a dejected look onto his face.

All over the ship, Starscream's face appeared on the computer monitors. _"The loss of Megatron, leader of the great Decepticon uprising, is certainly a blow to our cause… Yet we mustn't despair over his…tragic demise, but instead embrace his ultimate sacrifice and build upon the foundation he laid, with an even mightier hand."_ Starscream said, as he was secretly gagging on the words. He had come up with this speech a very long time ago, a speech that he'd been eagerly awaiting to use for centuries.

Unfortunately, Starscream's good mood was quickly brought to a halt. "Uh, with all due respect, Comma-eh… Lord Starscream?" A Vehicon asked standing just a bit a ways from the raised platform Starscream was on.

"Yes, yes, what is it?" Starscream asked in an annoyed tone, wondering if the Vehicon was going to challenge his claim as leader.

"If we failed to conquer Earth under Lord Megatron's command, what hope do we have now while the Autobots still defend it?" The Vehicon asked, getting murmurs of agreements from other Vehicons and Eradicons.

Starscream huffed in annoyance before he answered. "Allow me to be crystal clear. I studied for millennia under our former Master, thus I am equipped to lead you. I, Megatron's true heir, Lord Starscream, Emperor of Destruction!" He shouted only to be greeted by confused mutterings coming from the Vehicons and Eradicons.

"What?" Starscream asked in confusion as he was expecting to hear cheers of excitement and enthusiasm, not muttering of confusion. Disgusted by the lack of enthusiasm from the troops, Starscream stomped towards the exit. "Argh, what use are troops who can't rise to the task of inflicting unspeakable destruction in my name?" He muttered to himself in annoyance before remembering something. "But wait, legend tells of one capable warrior, one who exists here on this very planet. One who can be student to my master." Starscream said aloud to himself as he continued walking with Soundwave dutifully following him.

Starscream remembered the day he'd discovered Skyquake's signal well over an Earth year ago. He had not told Megatron, upon his now fallen master's return, for fear that Skyquake would claim his position as Air Commander, and Starscream did not want to give Megatron a reason to be rid of him.

He could remember a few of the war stories Slipstream, his missing (and Starscream hoped offline) older sister, had told him about Skyquake. She'd said that the Mech had been very loyal to Megatron, too loyal. He still recalled how his sister would gripe about how Skyquake wouldn't think for himself unless he was told to by Megatron. Starscream had never had the chance to meet with Skyquake as the Mech had been sent off world by Megatron to protect their Energon stockpile.

With Megatron's destruction, Skyquake would naturally follow the Decepticons' next Lord and Master.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

Optimus was standing alone in the main room of the base. Ratchet, being worried about his old friend, went over to check on him. "Optimus, why so glum?" He asked. "This planet, all planets are finally free from Megatron's tyranny."

"I do not disagree, Ratchet." Optimus admitted. "It's just… that a small part of me hoped to change Megatron's mind, not extinguish his spark."

"Optimus, his vileness was not slain by your hand, but by his own twisted arrogance!" Ratchet argued. Those words didn't seem to change Optimus's mind and Ratchet realized his mistake. "I'm sorry. I know you two had quite a history."

Elita had joined them at this point. "Optimus, you know as well as I do that the Megatron you fought alongside perished eons ago. The day he chose to become a Decepticon." She said softly.

Optimus sighed. "You are correct, Elita." He said before getting more serious. "The Decepticons may be in disarray but they are not without leadership, and while Starscream is no Megatron, he is far from predictable."

Without warning, a loud BOOM was heard as the whole area shook. Ratchet immediately assumed the worst. "Decepticons! We're under attack!" He shouted.

The three looked around, seeing smoke coming from an area of the base and immediately rushed to the spot, hoping they weren't too late. But when they got there, they saw nothing but smoke. Moreover, they realized that a Decepticon wasn't attacking them. The explosion was caused by…

"It's no attack, Ratchet." Raf reassured them before coughing as he waved his hand through the smoke. He and Bumblebee were working on something. "It's my volcano." He explained as he gestured to the large replica the smoke was coming out of. The volcano slowly melted. "Well, was."

Ratchet looked at him in confusion.

"Hold still, Bulkhead." Miko said from the platform. Ratchet looked to his right to Miko and Bulkhead. They were working on something that had painted balls hanging from string. There was a large cloth tarp on the ground with lots of paint cans on it. "Jupiter needs its red spot." She continued before she dipped the paintbrush into a red paint bucket. Before she could place the brush on the planet model, a large drop slatted off the brush. Luckily, the tarp was there to keep it from making a mess. "Whoops." She said.

"I think that's why Mark insisted on placing the tarp there, Miko." Bulkhead commented.

"What in the AllSpark is going on here?" Ratchet asked as he looked to his left.

Mark and Jack were over in a corner with an old motorcycle. There were parts and tools lying around while Mark was knelt down working and Jack was taking notes. "Our science projects are due tomorrow, Ratchet." Jack explained.

Arcee was knelt down attempting to help. "Maybe it needs one of these doohickeys." She suggested.

"You're a motorcycle, Arcee, should've you know how to build a motorcycle engine?" Jack asked.

"You're a human, Jack. Can you build me a small intestine?" Arcee countered.

"Touché." Mark said with a grin as he finished his work. "Anyway that's an exhaust pipe, Arcee. It goes on last, but I won't need it as I should be finished. I just brought the extra parts just to be on the safe side." He climbed on and turned on the engine. It started up perfectly. "And we're done. Just need to pack up my stuff so I'm ready when Agent Fowler gets here." Today was the day Fowler would be able to take Mark up in his fighter jet.

"Well, you can't work on these projects in here. You're…making a mess!" Ratchet proclaimed with a slight lie.

"But the science fair is a big part of our grade!" Raff objected.

"Yeah! If Bulkhead doesn't help me finish this model of our solar system…" Miko began to explain before Ratchet cut her explanation short.

"Oh! And what does Bulkhead know of your solar system? Or Bumblebee of your volcanoes?" Ratchet scoffed in disbelief. "Or…"

"Arcee of our motorcycles…?" Jack finished knowingly, getting a slightly dirty look from Arcee.

"Precisely! We're not Earthlings! And they're not scientists!" Ratchet said cockily as he shook his head.

"But the Autobots are their guardians, Ratchet. Would it hurt to learn more of Earth by helping our young friends with their schoolwork?" Optimus asked calmly.

"Well, maybe our young friends should learn more about Cybertron!" Ratchet retorted to Optimus's statement.

"Hey, Ratchet, since you're a scientist, maybe you could help Raf and Miko with their projects?" Mark suggested as he put on his jacket. He moved the finished bike off to the side and packed up his tool kit, which was also set aside with the motorcycle.

"Really? And how would you suggest I do that?" Ratchet asked incredulously.

"Maybe you could help Raf make his volcano more structurally sound so it doesn't melt or something to that affect." Mark said with a shrug. "Though if you do decide to help, keep in mind that this is Earth and not Cybertron."

"Meaning…?" Ratchet asked with a raised optic brow.

"I think what Mark is trying to say, Ratchet, is that we're trying to keep a low profile and that won't be possible if Raf's volcano ends up blowing a hole in their school's ceiling." Elita elaborated.

"Exactly, science fairs at our school are more show and less science." Mark said just before the proximity sensors announced Agent Fowler's arrival. He turned to Jack. "Make sure no one messes with our project while I'm gone Jack." Jack nodded in understanding. With that, Mark walked over to the elevator, which took him topside where Fowler would be waiting for him.

_**A half hour later, in a rocky cavern,**_

Starscream and Soundwave were currently looking for something, with Soundwave having his scanning system sticking out of the top of his head. "During the war, so much Energon was hidden on the forsaken rock but our departed master sent some of Cybertron's greatest to guard it." Starscream explained to Soundwave, even though it was unnecessary. "True warriors, lying in stasis, waiting to be reawakened. Such folly that late in life, our master searched distant space for warriors rather than here beneath his feet." He sneered.

Soundwave's 'face' pulsed a negative signal.

"What do you mean you can't pinpoint his signal?" Starscream asked angrily. "I know we are close! Boost the power to your sensors!"

Soundwave did as instructed and, when he did, a Decepticon emblem flashed on 'face' screen.

"Yes…" Starscream said. "There." He pointed to a location on Soundwave's screen 'face'.

Soundwave zeroed in on the exact location before the two Decepticons transformed and headed for the coordinates. Heading for the resting place of a Decepticon warrior, who might help Starscream succeed in what Megatron could not do: Conquer Earth.

_**Shortly, at the Autobot Base,**_

Raf was rebuilding the model of the volcano that was destroyed earlier. As he worked, he listened to Bumblebee recall one of his adventures during the war for Cybertron.

"_(And just like that, I finished off the Decepticons with my wrist cannons.)"_ Bumblebee said as he briefly revealed his wrist cannon. _"(I've still got a long way to go though, before I reach Warrior-Class.)"_

"Really, Bumblebee, then how do you make Warrior-Class?" Raf asked curiously.

"_(Battle experience.)"_ Bumblebee replied.

"But I've seen you in action, you're awesome." Raf argued.

"_(Thanks, Raf.)"_ Bumblebee said sheepishly.

Optimus then placed his servo on Bumblebee's shoulder, getting the Scout's attention. "I second your opinion, Raf, but Autobot life cycles are much longer than those of humans." Optimus explained. "And though it may be hard to believe, our young scout still has much to experience."

Just then, the computer set off an alert. Ratchet pulled up the information on the computer. "Exposed Energon and it's on the move." He reported.

"And since we ain't moving it, guess who must be." Bulkhead said.

"Decepticons." Arcee answered.

"Without Megatron?" Miko asked.

"Unfortunately Megatron's legacy will live on, as others rise to take his place." Optimus explained. "Autobots, you have projects to complete. Ratchet, I may require aid."

Ratchet looked back at Raf, who was continuing working on his volcano. "Science fair is a big part of their grade… perhaps I'm better suited to remain behind and… advise." Ratchet said.

Elita shook her head, as she knew exactly where this was going. "Then I'm staying behind as well." She said getting a confused look from Optimus. "Don't you remember the last time he tried to 'advise' someone on a science project?"

Optimus immediately remembered and nodded in understanding. Ratchet got a little carried away with the work and ended up building a powerful cannon that leveled a building with a single shot when the objective was just to build a basic stun blaster that would stun its target. "Very well." He said before turning to Bumblebee. "Bumblebee, let us see about this Energon in transit."

"_(Understood, Optimus.)"_ Bumblebee said with a nod.

_**In the rocky cavern,**_

Working together, Starscream and Soundwave removed a Decepticon tomb from the hidden compartment inside the cliff face. Within it was their Decepticon warrior. "Excellent, Soundwave." Starscream complemented before moving in front of the tomb and holding out his hand. "The cube."

As usual, without saying a word, Soundwave did as he was told. Soundwave opened a compartment and pulled out a cube. He handed the containment cube to Starscream who slid it open and revealed a glowing blue Energon cube. He removed the cube from the box and inserted it into the Energon Cube inside the square hole. He took a step back. The tomb and its content began to power up. "Yes, the Energon infusion. It's working!" Starscream proclaimed. The tomb door opened in a bright flash of light.

_**Nearby,**_

The Autobot GroundBridge vortex opened and Bumblebee emerged followed closely by Optimus. Once Optimus was out, the portal closed. They were met by an ominous sound. _"(Whatever those two are up to, it doesn't look good.)"_ Bumblebee said as he ducked behind a boulder and saw Starscream and Soundwave.

"No, Bumblebee, it does not. Hold your position and await my command." Optimus ordered as he advanced towards the Decepticons.

_**In front of the Tomb,**_

"Awaken warrior. Rise and serve your new master!" Starscream proclaimed as the tomb before him opened.

Once the tomb was open, glowing red eyes stared down at Starscream. A large green and white colored, with red markings, Decepticon emerged from the tight space he was confined in for eons. When he did, he fully looked at the two fellow Decepticons standing before him.

He stretched his limbs to get some of the rust out of them. "Skyquake serves only one master." The new Decepticon stated as he leaned forward at Starscream.

"Excellent. Your loyalty and devotion will set a fine example for the troops." Starscream said with an evil grin. "No need to be timid, Skyquake. You may bow." He invited.

Skyquake stood tall as he looked down at Starscream. "You fail to grasp my meaning. I am here on a mission, assigned to me by my one master: Megatron." He corrected.

"Yes, him…sadly Megatron is no longer with us." Starscream informed the Decepticon standing before him.

"Impossible!" Skyquake gasped in disbelief.

"Why is it this difficult for everyone to accept?" Starscream muttered to himself before addressed Skyquake. "Skyquake, I located you. I awakened you. Thus, I, Lord Starscream, am now your master!"

Skyquake snarled angrily at Starscream and was about to crush him but was prevented when a newcomer got their attention.

"It has been awhile, Skyquake." Optimus said calmly as he approached them.

Skyquake, Starscream, and Soundwave turned to their left and saw Optimus Prime standing before them. In his eagerness to locate and revive Skyquake, Starscream had forgotten about the fact that as soon as the Autobots found an Energon signature or a signal from a crashed ship – Autobot and Decepticon alike – they would come running.

The enormous Decepticon shoved Starscream out of the way. "Optimus Prime." Skyquake said. "I haven't seen you since the Battle of Technar. Megatron ordered me to annihilate you." He recalled.

"That was a long time ago." Optimus said.

"That may be, Prime, but my order still stand." Skyquake stated, as he was ready to finally fulfill that order.

"Is this ancient war still worth fighting? When so many comrades have been lost? And worlds destroyed?" Optimus asked both Starscream and Skyquake. "Starscream, if you want to be true leaders, then stray from Megatron's path and lead the Decepticons towards peace."

"I would be willing to consider a truce, if you would be willing to bow before me, Optimus Prime." Starscream schemed.

"Again?!" Skyquake bellowed as he angrily turned to Starscream. "Bow to this!" He punched Starscream in the chest, sending him flying through the air. With a rough, solid thud, Starscream crashed into the cliff face Skyquake had punched him into. He gasped in pain as he removed himself from the rocky wall. Starscream quickly transformed from his bipedal mode into his alternative mode and just like that, he took off. However, he wasn't going to miss the slowly unfolding battle.

"Skyquake, this is a new era, on another world." Optimus said as he tried one last time to reason with the newly awakened Decepticon. "Side with the Autobots and help me end this conflict forever."

"I will NEVER side with a Prime!" Skyquake proclaimed before he charged towards Optimus.

Underestimating his opponents speed, Optimus never saw the left hook coming. Therefore, when Skyquake threw a punch at him, he wasn't able to block it. Instead, he was knocked into a nearby archway. Skyquake picked Optimus up by his shoulders and threw the shorter Transformer around like a child throwing a rag doll.

Above the ensuing battle, Starscream and Soundwave watched everything unfold. This was too good of a battle to miss. Starscream finally had an advantage over the Autobot enemy. In his possession was one of Cybertron's greatest warriors. Within a matter of moments, the war would work out in the Decepticon's favor.

"What need have I for peace when I have Skyquake?" Starscream asked rhetorically to Soundwave. "With some discipline, he will learn to respect his new master. And once it becomes known that Skyquake destroyed Optimus Prime under my command, all Decepticons will gratefully bow to me." Starscream proclaimed.

Bumblebee observed the fight as Optimus flipped out one of his cannon and fired a few shots at Skyquake, scored several hits. Unfortunately, Skyquake retaliated by drawing his Gatling gun and firing the powerful gun. Each rapid shot hit Optimus, knocking him back a few feet. But it didn't force Optimus to back down. It would take more than that to bring him down.

"_(That's it! I'm coming, Optimus!)"_ Bumblebee shouted as he had enough of hiding and ran out from behind the boulder.

"Bumblebee, no!" Optimus warned but it was too late.

Bumblebee jumped into the air and activated his wrist cannons, firing at Skyquake's back. One hit Skyquake on the rear and the other hit him in the shoulder. Skyquake quickly turned around and opened fire on the foolish enough to attack him. Bumblebee was able to avoid the shots and continued firing as he got closer. Unfortunately, when he tried to tackle the big Decepticon, Skyquake grabbed him and threw him into the cliff side.

Skyquake pointed his Gatling gun at Bumblebee, but as soon as he pulled the trigger, Optimus grabbed the gun and shoved it toward the air, causing the shots to miss. Bumblebee got up and charged at Skyquake as Optimus managed to disarm the Decepticon but Skyquake easily caught Bumblebee with both hands and tossed him aside.

Above the battlefield, Soundwave was recording everything. "Do not miss a single moment, Soundwave!" Starscream ordered. "We shall need visual documentation of Optimus Prime's demise…for the historical record."

Optimus punched Skyquake in the face but Skyquake returned with his own. He attempted to score a second hit but Optimus ducked underneath it and moved behind him. Optimus attempted to grab Skyquake, only to be elbowed in the face, causing him to stagger back.

Bumblebee joined Optimus and thought of something. _"(Can he transform?)"_ He asked Optimus, having heard stories about Skyquake being a flier.

"Skyquake has yet to acquire a vehicle mode." Optimus replied quietly. This caused Bumblebee to remember that if a Cybertronian was in stasis for a long period of time, their systems could forget their alternate mode and, upon awakening, they would need to acquire a new one.

Skyquake picked up his gun and readied it before charging at the Autobots. "Fall back." Optimus ordered and the two switched to their vehicle modes. The two Autobots began driving backwards before spinning around, making a cloud of dust and sand.

"So time has made you a coward, Prime?" Skyquake shouted before he continued firing blindly.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet was had switched his arm to a blowtorch and was welding some metal panels together as he worked to improve Raf's volcano. "Let's see… where is it…" Ratchet muttered to himself as he worked. He found what he was looking for and welded it into place. "Rafael, I am almost done making the volcano more structurally sound. How are your parts coming along?" Ratchet asked as he briefly stopped welding.

Raf was currently mixing a liquid. "I've finished cutting the tubes like you asked, Ratchet, and now I'm almost done with this liquid." He replied. The liquid he was mixing was actually glowing a reddish orange color. "But is it supposed to be glowing like this?" He asked with concern.

"Yes it is and don't worry, it's completely harmless to human. In fact, I believe it is used at parties in some human cultures as a beverage." Ratchet stated. Ratchet was originally going to do the project entirely by himself but Elita refused to let him do that, so he had Rafael doing some of the less complicated work.

Just then, Bulkhead drove back into the base. Miko hopped out with a bucket and a laptop-carrying bag. "Hey, Doc Bot, I get the brown paint you wanted and my laptop." She said with a grin.

"Good, once I've completed the canals, Rafael will need to brown paint so he can paint this to look more like a volcano." Ratchet stated as he careful used a cutting laser to make curved lines in the side of the volcano.

"Canals? Like water canals?" Arcee asked curiously.

"Of course." Ratchet said with a grin.

Raf finally figured out what Ratchet was doing. "So the liquid you had me make will act like the lava erupting from the volcano and the tubes are for the canals." He guessed with an excited smile.

"Precisely." Ratchet replied with a smile. "I've also added a pump system inside so after the liquid pools at the base, it will go right back into the volcano in order to continue the eruption simulation."

"But why did you send Miko to get her laptop?" Jack asked curiously.

"Ah dat dat! One project at a time!" Ratchet scolded.

"Ahem!" Elita said loudly. Ratchet looked at her and had to keep from flinching under her stern glare.

Ratchet turn back to the humans. "But if you must know, I was thinking that instead of a diorama of this Solar System, I would help Miko create an electronic model of the Earth complete with accurate weather reading." Ratchet explained to Jack. "I need her laptop so I can upload the program into it, as well as being able to pull up accurate weather reading for any location on this planet."

"That would be so sweet!" Miko cheered happily.

"Just don't overdo it Ratchet." Elita warned the medic. Ratchet nodded before getting back to work.

_**Back at the battlefield,**_

Soundwave was recording the battle but couldn't see Skyquake or the Autobots.

"We've lost sight of them!" Starscream said angrily before turning to Soundwave. "Soundwave, why aren't you tracking them?"

Soundwave responded by playing a sonar ping.

"What? What is it?" Starscream asked as he looked at Soundwave's 'face' screen.

Soundwave showed Starscream something else. A different map, it wasn't of the area where they were currently watching Skyquake's battle with Optimus and Bumblebee. This map was of Earth and space surrounding it.

"A second Decepticon life signal?" Starscream asked in confusion. "But Skyquake is the only sleeper buried in this area." Soundwave zoomed in on the exact location and showed Starscream. "The site of our destroyed Spacebridge… You're not telling me… that life signal belongs… to Megaton…?" Starscream asked, almost fearful of that possibility. "B-B-Bu-But he was microns from the detonation point! Nothing could've survived that blast!" Starscream argued, as it made no sense. "Your sensors must be faulty! Ignore the contact! Delete the coordinates!" He ordered hastily.

Soundwave did nothing of the sort. He continued playing the sonar ping.

Starscream laughed nervously. "What am I saying?" He asked himself before turning around to Soundwave. "Of course, this needs to be investigated. If Lord Megatron is up there, I shall bring him home." He pointed to the sky.

Soundwave gave a slight nod.

"Remain here and monitor outcome." Starscream ordered. "When Skyquake snuffs Prime's spark, I… must bear witness." Starscream jumped off the cliff and transformed as he fell. Before his hit the ground, he fired his engine and shot into the air, heading for the coordinates.

Soundwave watched Starscream fly into space. He recorded part of Starscream's words. _"Must bear witness."_ The recording said. He then deployed Laserbeak to follow Starscream.

_**A little earlier, in the skies,**_

"This is awesome!" Mark said excitedly as Agent Fowler piloted the government's experimental aircraft called a V-Tol.

He gave out a loud whoop as Fowler did another barrel roll through the sky in the fighter jet they were riding in. Turns out the older man had been an Army Ranger back in his heyday, but his love for serving his country eventually led him to becoming one of the nation's most experienced pilots. Although he had nothing to base his beliefs on, Mark could honestly admit that Fowler was an excellent flier.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself." Fowler said with a smile as he was also enjoying the flight. "Now hang on, I'm about to put this jet through a corkscrew." He then began the maneuver and Mark felt the sensation of twisting through the air.

Mark gasped loudly when Fowler pulled a sharp turn.

"You okay back there, Mark?" Fowler asked just to be sure.

"Yeah I'm fine. You just surprised me with that last turn." Mark answered truthfully.

"You can drop the title, Mark, and it's no trouble at all." Fowler assured the young man. "It actually gave me an excuse to get away from my paperwork. Plus, it's nice to see someone else enjoy this as much as I do, though you didn't seem like the flying type in that helicopter a few days ago." He pulled the plane upwards, dodging a large stone pillar.

"Helicopters just aren't my thing I guess." Mark replied with a shrug, though the older man couldn't see it. "Besides, it was my first time flying in one."

Before anything else could be done, Fowler's computer intercepted a signal. _"Tango 6-Alpha to Central Command, we're picking up transmissions originating from unidentified technology, possibly hostile. We are moving in to investigate."_ A voice broke out from the radio.

Fowler pressed a switch, intercepting the call. "Negative Tango 6-Alpha, this is Special Agent William Fowler intercepting." He said, his voice tone changed from excitement to complete seriousness. "Strike your report from the record and provide origin coordinates, I'll take it from here." Fowler said before shutting off his radio. "Well kid, you ready to see what the bots have gotten themselves into this time?"

"Alright, but you'll owe me another ride." Mark said with a grin. Fowler chuckled as he piloted his V-Tol towards the provided coordinates.

_**Down at the Battlefield,**_

The chase appeared to be working out in the favor of the Autobots. Bumblebee continued to drive around the canyon with Skyquake hot on his tail. However, Bumblebee eventually reached a dead end. Once he did, he transformed into his bipedal mode.

"It will be a shame to crush you, bug, but it is my duty." Skyquake remarked.

Suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of a truck horn behind him. He turned around and saw Optimus approaching him in his truck mode. Immediately, he started firing shots from his blaster. Whilst taking hits, Optimus transformed into his bipedal mode and punched Skyquake in the face.

"Excellent strategy, Bumblebee." Optimus complimented his scout.

Moaning, Skyquake fell from the cliff face Optimus had punched him into towards the ground below. Initially, he appeared unconscious but he quickly recovered. Skyquake opened his eyes and punched Optimus.

"Skyquake, stay down." Optimus instructed as he retaliated with his own punch.

Bits of shrapnel broke off from Skyquake's face due to Optimus's powerful punch. Skyquake fell to the ground weakened. Optimus and Bumblebee stood above him. He appeared to be defeated.

Just then, Optimus and Bumblebee heard the sound of a jet. They turned and looked up to see Fowler's V-Tol flying overhead.

"Fowler?" Optimus gasped as he looked up and saw a familiar fighter jet.

While Optimus and Bumblebee were distracted, Skyquake looked up at the jet with a sinister grin. His eyes glowed green as he took in the appearance of the jet and fired a scanning beam at the jet.

"Agent Fowler, fall back!" Optimus pleaded Fowler through their radio connection.

Mark saw the scanning beam coming from his seat. "Fowler, the Con is attempting to scan your jet!" Mark warned but it was too late. The scan passed through the V-Tol before Fowler could react, briefly shorting out some of the equipment.

In Skyquake's eyes were the designs of the fighter jet he had just scanned. Skyquake jumped above Optimus. Before Optimus, Bumblebee, or Fowler could do anything about it, Skyquake was no longer in his bipedal form. But instead, he was in his recently-acquired alternative mode. His alternative mode was the jet Fowler was flying and Skyquake had scanned. He flew towards the skies at high speeds, intent on finishing his enemies once and for all.

"Well, I'll be a bald eagle!" Fowler remarked as he noticed Skyquake flying next to him.

'_So that's how they gain their vehicle modes…'_ Mark thought as he watched Skyquake fly back towards the Autobots.

"Air superiority achieved!" Skyquake proclaimed as he fired shots at Optimus and Bumblebee below him.

Immediately, Optimus and Bumblebee started running for cover from Skyquake's shots. Needing more speed to do so, they transformed into their alternative forms and sped away.

Seeing the Autobot's on the run, Fowler moved his V-Tol into position to assist. "Hang on, Mark, we're going in." Fowler called before he chased after Skyquake, bullets ready to be fired. Mark fidgeted in his seat. He wanted to grab the controls in front of him to help take down the con, but refrained, as he had no idea how to pilot a jet or what any of the buttons did.

Skyquake prepared his missiles and attempted to lock onto Bumblebee but, before he could fire, Fowler began shooting at him.

"Stealing plans for classified military aircraft will NOT be tolerated on my watch!" Fowler proclaimed as he fired shots at the phony classified military aircraft.

To Skyquake, Fowler was now his new target of destruction. He purposely stalled to get behind them. He fired a group of six missiles at the government agent's Jet. Moreover, they are no ordinary missiles.

"HEAT SEEKERS!" Fowler gasped.

Fowler was now thankful of his intense compulsory pilot training. With his special maneuvers, he managed to avoid the missiles. When he reached a dead end, he pulled up immediately. Below him, the missiles flew into the rocky cliff face and exploded upon impact. The positive-side about heat-seeking missiles, if you are at the receiving end of a basketful of them, fly towards another object that would attract the missiles with their heat or a dead end and pull up at the last minute, forcing the missiles to hit that instead.

"I still got it." Fowler boasted rather proudly as he flew his jet further away from Skyquake. "You okay back there, Mark?" Fowler asked as he suddenly remembered the civilian in his cockpit.

"A little bit bored, but I'm good." Mark joked getting a laugh out of Fowler.

_**At the former sight of the Decepticon Spacebridge,**_

As Starscream broke past Earth's orbit, he resisted the urge to growl in frustration. His plans to have Skyquake become his loyal second in command no longer seemed like a possibility. The fool was far too wrapped up in the past to pay attention to the present.

It seemed Slipstream's exaggerations of Skyquake had actually been one hundred percent correct. However, once Skyquake kills Optimus Prime, the Decepticon troops would see that he, Starscream, was perfectly capable of leading their faction.

As he approached the ground zero site of the Space Bridge explosion, Starscream transformed and landed on one of the larger pieces of floating debris.

"No one could have survived this." Starscream stated as he looked at the wreckage surrounding him. "As I suspected, faulty sensors. The last thing I need now are rumors that Megatron is still-" Starscream cut himself off in surprise as a pained groan echoed through the rubble. He looked towards where the sound had come from. Sure enough, Starscream spotted the figure of Megatron floating among the rocks and destroyed metals.

"Megatron." He gasped in disbelief as he reached the leader of the Decepticons. His touch must have awakened his Master, for the larger Mech awoke, gripped his shoulder painfully as he glared at Starscream before once again entering stasis.

"But how?" Starscream growled at the injured, but most certainly alive Mech. How could Megatron survive such a close range explosion? _'It defies all logic!'_ Starscream thought.

Suddenly, Starscream spotted bright purple glow pulsing from the chamber that usually housed a Cybertronians Spark.

"Of course, Dark Energon…" Starscream said before he leaned forward slightly to speak directly into his Master's audible relay sensors. "Everyone believes you are deceased, who am I to disappoint them…Master…" He sneered smugly as he reached for the Energon shard stuck in Megatron's chest.

Finally, after all the years of servitude, of humiliation, he was ending it. Ending the life of Megatron, a pity his Master would never see him destroy the Autobots and claim the universe as his own. _'I would have enjoyed rubbing that into your face, Megatron.'_ Starscream thought. As the shard left Megatron's spark chamber, he watched the older Mech awaken and reach out towards him before stasis claimed him once again, permanently.

"And this time, stay dead." Starscream called as he pushed Megatron's frame away from him, gleefully watching as the body seemed to blend in perfectly with the rubble adjoining it. His glee quickly turned to dread as he heard the familiar sound of Soundwave's drone, Laserbeak, approaching him.

He turned and saw the drone approaching. "Soundwave!" Starscream gasped as he hid the Dark Energon shard. "If you are listening, I have found Lord Megatron! And he is…unwell. We must transport him to sick bay…immediately!" He did his best to keep Laserbeak from seeing the Dark Energon shard as he hid it behind his back.

It would not do well for Soundwave to put two and two together.

_**Back in the canyon battlefield,**_

The chase continued involving Optimus and Bumblebee on the ground and Skyquake and Fowler, along with Mark, in the air. Optimus and Bumblebee narrowly avoided every shot Skyquake fired. One missile came too close for Optimus's liking. It sent him flying through the air. Optimus transformed into his bipedal mode to prevent potential self-harm.

However, Skyquake ignored the Prime. He continued going after Bumblebee, who continued to drive through the canyon with Skyquake flying close behind him firing shots from his blasters. Eventually, he drove up a hill at high speeds, causing him to fly over the top of the hill. Midair, Bumblebee transformed into his bipedal mode and ran across the hot, sandy ground underneath his feet. Skyquake flew above the gap of the canyon…not realizing that it would potentially be the greatest mistake of his life.

Bumblebee jumped from the edge of the canyon and landed on top of Skyquake. Immediately, the jet began flying out of control, randomly knocking Bumblebee into cliff faces in the process.

From inside Fowler's cockpit, Mark saw what Bumblebee had just done. "Brave, but stupid Bee." He muttered to himself before addressing Fowler. "Fowler, I think Bumblebee needs an assist."

Fowler looked and spotted Bumblebee just as Optimus contacted them. _"Agent Fowler, we require immediate assistance."_ He said through the com-link.

Bumblebee realized Skyquake wasn't going to surrender quietly, so he punched his fist on the left side of the Skyquake's cockpit and ripped out wire connection points from him. He then did the same to the right side. This caused Skyquake to lose all control and nose dive down to the surface. Agent Fowler, and Mark, arrived and followed. _"(This was a bad idea.)"_ Bumblebee said.

Just then, Fowler pulled up alongside Skyquake. "Anytime, fella, ground floor is coming up awfully fast." Fowler muttered before Bee jumped onto the plane, making it stutter in the air slightly. Mark looked up at Bumblebee, who was crouched partially over him, and gave the Autobot a thumbs-up, which Bee returned.

Skyquake couldn't do anything to even attempt to void crashing, thanks to Bumblebee pulled out his wiring.

From the ground, Optimus watched as Skyquake crashed nearby with an exploding bang. The burning jet skidded along the desert ground before coming to a stop a few feet away.

"Happy landings, Con." Fowler jeered. He flew his jet near the edge of the canyon so Bumblebee could jump off. Once Bumblebee was off of the jet, Fowler began to fly away. "So Mark, want to see how fast I can get us back to base?" He asked. "It's too bad none of the Autobots have a flier on the team, it would give me somebody to race." Mark chuckled at Fowler's statement as the special agent pointed the plane in the direction the base was located at.

Bumblebee stood by the edge and observed the still-smoking remains of Skyquake. Eventually, he climbed down to meet up with Optimus. Together, the two watched as the red optics of Skyquake went dark and his spark gave out.

"Had Skyquake chosen to stray from his master's path, we might not be burying him today." Optimus remarked.

Above them, Soundwave watched and recorded the unfolding scene.

_**The next day, at the Autobot Base,**_

"Bumblebee, putting yourself at risk was perhaps not the wisest of strategies. But you performed admirably." Optimus complimented Bumblebee after Ratchet finished checking him over for injuries.

Honking was echoing from the ramp way. "Ah ha! There you are." Ratchet said excitedly as he quickly walked to the ramp entrance. The other Autobots had returned with their human charges. Miko and Raf got out of Bulkhead. "So? How were our works perceived?" He asked eagerly.

Both had hug smiles on their faces.

_**Earlier that day at the school, Miko's demonstration,**_

Miko had a round orb on the desk, which displayed a perfect replica of the planet with various weather patterns and clouds. Her laptop was seated next to it with a small Ipad in front of it. "…and you can use the iPad to look up any location and it will tell you the weather in that area at that time." Miko explained to her teacher.

"Well that is very well done, Miss Nakadai." The teacher complimented.

_**Raf's presentation,**_

When Raf's turn came, the teacher was again impressed. The volcano looked like the real deal and the bubbling liquid at the top gave it the look that it was erupting. "…and the pools at the base are connected to the inside so the liquid is cycled back to the simulation." Raf explained.

_**Presently,**_

"We both got A's on our projects!" Miko cheered as this was one of the few times she got an A on a science project.

Ratchet nodded. "I still think my original ideas would've been good as well." He muttered to himself but everyone heard.

"Ratchet, your original idea for Raf would've blown a hole in the school's roof." Elita scolded.

In a rare show of emotion, Optimus wrapped his arms around Elita from behind. "Then it was a wise choice for you to stay behind and make sure they stayed on the right path." He said with a smile.

_**Meanwhile, in Med-Lab of the Decepticon Warship,**_

"The troops will be pleased to hear of our success in rushing Lord Megatron into stasis. Let us hope that our Master pulls through." Starscream said grimly, with a hint of anger, as he looked at a still functioning Megatron.

As if to taunt him, the only thing that greeted his bitter lie were the steady beeps coming from the machine monitoring Megatron's still beating Spark.

**To Be Continued…**


	7. Chapter 7: Scrapheap

**Transformers Prime**

**Chapter 7: Scrapheap**

_**One Week Later,**_

It has been a week since Mark's flight with Agent Fowler and the Autobots took out Skyquake.

Lately, Mark has been feeling different. It was as if his already somewhat dull life had become three times as dull. His only release was with Arcee giving him a lift to and from the base. Unfortunately, Acree wouldn't push her engine past 80 mph even though he knew she could go far faster than that. Of course, she had a cover to maintain.

Mark tried, he really did, but life was really starting to grate at his nerves. He was able to put up with his classmates but they're chattering on about the newest fashions or the latest TV shows was starting to giving him a headache. Fortunately, for Mark, Vince and the school bullies made great punching bags as they never seemed to learn their lessons. School had always been slightly easy for Mark but now it was getting to the point where. The teachers droned on about things he already knew, scolding him when they saw he wasn't paying attention, and then staring at him in surprise as he answered their questions with ease. Thankfully, no one at school really knew him all that well.

His mother had noticed that he was acting a bit differently and he had confided in her that he felt different. She was a little worried that what he had suffered at the hands of Starscream had taken more of a toll than originally thought but, after he explained, she realized that wasn't the case. He was bored.

She had chuckled and told him that he was becoming more like Alan, his father. He gave her a confused look so she explained. She then told him how his father, at one time, had been a street racer. In fact, it was thanks to street racing that she had met Alan in the first place. It seemed the need for speed had transferred to Mark as well.

Two days ago, she took the day off, and took him to Santa Maia, a city that had triple the population size of Jasper. While Santa Maia wasn't anything like New York or Las Vegas, it certainly dwarfed Jasper easily in comparison. Mark was definitely impressed by the city's large structures and crowded streets.

However, what really surprised Mark was when his mother told him the reason they were in Santa Maia: to buy Mark a street racer. He looked at her as if she had grown a second head when she said this. "I know that it would be impossible for you to continue on like you have been so I might as well give you permission to do this, rather than be shocked when you are rushed into the emergency room from crashing some piece of junk you put together." She stated seriously. She then smiled. "Besides, I'm going to have Ratchet modify the body structure of whatever car you pick out will be much harder to wreck." _**(See Author's Note at the end of chapter for a better explanation.)**_

Now that last part made a lot of sense as Cybertronian-based creations were far sturdier than most human-based creations. Therefore, Ratchet was told about the car and street racing, and agreed to make the car far safer and durable that the usual Earth car.

Currently, Mark was riding Arcee around town, when they passed a house with a giant tent over it. "Okay…what's that about?" Arcee couldn't help but ask.

Mark looked at the tent-covered house. "Oh, that's a fumigation tent. The house must be infested with rodents or bugs so the owner is having it fumigated." Mark explained. "Basically they cover the house with a rubber tent and fill it was poisonous gases that kill the infesting vermin." He then thought of something. "Hey, did you guys have any kind of vermin on Cybertron?" He asked curiously.

"Not in the way you do." Arcee said. "The vermin we had to deal with were extremely dangerous, especially since they travelled in swarms and would devour anything metal, including living metal. It didn't matter if you were Autobot or Decepticon, these things could devour you until there was nothing left. To make matters worse, they were tiny and fast so shooting them was a real challenge."

"These things sound a lot like piranha, except they eat metal instead of meat or other animals." Mark commented offhandedly. "What were they called?" He asked curiously.

"Scraplets." Arcee answered simply before the pair settled into a comfortable silence.

_**One Week Later, Arctic Region,**_

Bulkhead and Bumblebee were sent to the Arctic on a scouting mission. They walking through a snowstorm following a reading they were picking up on the scanner Bulkhead was holding. The wind was blowing fiercely making it hard to see where they were going. Bulkhead tapped the scanner as he tried to figure out where it was leading them. _"(Are we there yet?)"_ Bumblebee asked.

Bulkhead looked at the scanner's screen. "No, we're not there yet." He answered. "It should be just past this ridge, Bumblebee."

They reached the ridge and sled down the snow to the bottom. They looked around but didn't see anything. Bulkhead held up the device. "I don't get it. These readings are off the meter." He said to Bumblebee who was looking around.

"_(Hey, Bulkhead, I think I see it!)"_ Bumblebee said as he led Bulkhead over to a glacier. The ice was thin enough to reveal what was inside the glacier, some sort of giant, metallic containment pod.

_**Shortly, at the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet began running the defrosting process on both Bulkhead and Bumblebee as they had returned to base with their finding. Bulkhead was annoyed and impatient with Ratchet's medical procedure. "I told you, doc. We're fine." He said as he pulled off one of the plugs attached to his chest and began to stand up.

Ratchet was quick to stop Bulkhead. "The only way to be certain that you're fine, Bulkhead," he argued as he shoved Bulkhead back down to his seat, "is to endure standard defrosting procedure. You know that prolonged exposure to subzero conditions can cause permanent system damage."

"Ratchet, have you learned anything more about our Arctic find?" Optimus asked as he, Arcee, and Elita approached.

"Not yet." Ratchet replied as he showed them the monitor screen of their find. "The pod can't be open while it's frozen solid." He turned off the screen.

Unfortunately, he turned it off a moment too soon, because as the ice was melting off the pod, something inside it was waking up. Loud clicks and clangs were emanating inside it, and then a claw burst out through the metal of the pod.

_**A few hours later,**_

With the discovery that was made, Optimus decided to investigate the area more closely. Ratchet programed the coordinates into the GroundBridge and powered it up. "Arcee, Elita, and I will search for any clue as to our Arctic find." Optimus stated.

"Only until your sensors sound." Ratchet reminded him. He used his handheld scanner to upload a program into Optimus, Elita, and Arcee, causing their Autobot insignia to blink blue. "Remember, once your core temperature drops into the blue zone, system failures are not likely, they are immanent."

The four Autobots then heard the familiar sound of engines. Ratchet looked to see Bulkhead and Bumblebee arriving in vehicle mode. They opened their doors, allowing their passengers to climb out. Mark was with Raf in Bumblebee while Jack and Miko rode in Bulkhead.

"Miss us, Doc Bot?" Miko asked Ratchet as Bulkhead and Bumblebee transformed into their bipedal modes.

"Shouldn't they be in school?" Ratchet asked in confusion.

"Schools are closed on Saturday, Ratchet." Mark said with a grin.

"We have the whole weekend off to hang with you." Miko said with a grin.

"I wasn't expecting to carpool. What gives, Elita?" Jack asked his guardian.

"Sorry Jack, but Arcee and I are going with Optimus on exploration duty." Elita explained.

"Too bad." Mark said to Arcee. "It's a really nice day for a ride, would hate for you to feel guilty for leaving me indoors." He gave Arcee a sly grin.

"It's an artic exploration, Mark." Arcee said as she raised optic ridge and laid a servo on her hip.

Mark raised his arms up in front of him in silent surrender and looked down as Raf ran up next to him.

"The Arctic? I've always wanted to see snow." Raf gushed excitedly. Mark smirked and crossed his arms, sharing an amused look with Arcee.

"I would invite you to join, Rafael. But the conditions are much too extreme, even for us Autobots." Optimus informed Raf.

"I…understand." Raf said as he understood but couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed.

Optimus nodded to him before slinging in arm around Elita's shoulder as they made their way towards the waiting GroundBridge portal and Arcee. But before they stepped into the vortex, Optimus turned around. "But I will bring you back a snowball." He promised Raf, immediately cheering the boy up.

"That would be awesome!" Raf exclaimed happily.

Elita smiled at Optimus. _'He is going to make a great father someday.'_ She thought, as she hoped that one day she and Optimus could finally start a family of their own.

Optimus, Elita, and Arcee entered the GroundBridge vortex and were instantly transported to their destination.

"GroundBridge travel successful…" Ratchet said. He was about to deactivate the Bridge, the controls to the GroundBridge short-circuited and sparked out. "By the All-Spark." He muttered in shock.

"So, what you do you guys think we should do today?" Miko asked as Jack trailed behind her and Raf.

"_(Oh! How about a video game tournament?)__"_ Bumblebee suggested as he gestured with his hands using a video game controller.

"Video game tournament, last one standing wins!" Raf translated excitedly.

"Bulkhead, Bumblebee, here, now!" Ratchet shouted.

"_(Maybe later, Raf.)"_ Bumblebee said as he and Bulkhead went over to the team medic.

Mark raised an eyebrow as he watched the two bots walk off dejectedly.

Jack and Miko immediately grabbed two of the three controllers. Raf reached for one as he waved bye to Bumblebee but Miko snatched it up. Mark moved to follow the two Autobots when Miko suddenly waved a game controller in front of his face.

"No offense, Miko, but video games aren't my thing." Mark said as he looked over at Raf who was frowning and staring down at his feet. "Hey, Raf, how about you take this one as this is more your forte than mine."

"Nah, I've got… stuff to do." Raf said dejectedly as he left the platform. Miko and Jack went about having their racing match.

"You can't boss us around just because the boss is out." Mark heard Bulkhead say from his spot near the couch.

"I need some heavy lifting, the GroundBridge is down." Ratchet said, completely ignoring what the former Wrecker said. Mark furrowed his eyebrows in worry, did that mean Arcee, Elita, and Optimus were trapped in the artic?

"_(__What? Was the transport incomplete before it went down?__)__"_ Bumblebee asked worriedly. Mark still couldn't understand the Scout but he could hear the worry in Bumblebee's voice.

"Optimus, Elita, and Arcee made it through just fine." Ratchet assured Bumblebee. "It's bringing them back that concerns me. Now remove those panels." He pointed to the GroundBridge's maintenance core. "Chop. Chop."

Mark then left the main room without attracting anyone's attention and found himself wandering down one of the halls aimlessly. Video games weren't really his thing which was why he wasn't playing. He was more than happy to let Jack and Miko play together.

What was more worrying though was the GroundBridge's sudden malfunction. Mark knew Ratchet was having trouble with Earth technology, but he had yet to see any inventions of Cybertronian origin fail so far. What was so surprising is that the GroundBridge had apparently been working just fine yesterday. What could cause such massive damage in so short a time?

He turned the corner and smiled at what he saw.

"…Temperatures sub-zero and dropping." Raf said. He was playing an imaginary game by himself, pretending that he was with the others on Arctic exploration duty and was fighting against the high-velocity winds and sub-zero temperatures. "…Gotta…get back…to base…"

"Having fun Raf?" Mark asked with a grin.

Suddenly, the two heard the familiar sound of metal clanging. They turned around and saw a loose screw lying on the floor. This concerned Mark. He understood the place was old, but he didn't think the place would start falling apart now. He hoped it wasn't. It would give the Decepticons access to the base and its occupants: them! Mark approached the screw and picked it up, examining the metal object.

"Where did that come from?" Raf asked him.

"I don't know, Raf. I just hope the place isn't falling apart. Otherwise Ratchet's gonna have a fit!" Mark remarked.

They heard metal clanging again, this time, above them. They looked up in surprise. Instinctively, Mark moved Raf behind him. But they couldn't find anything. Mark listened trying to track the sound but didn't hear anything…until they heard the noise again.

"Hello?" Raf called out.

They heard the familiar sound behind them. They gasped and turned around. Again, they didn't find anything. Now, this was worrying Mark while Raf was getting a little scared.

What the hell is going on here? Where is the noise coming from? Who or what is causing it? Why did the person causing the noise come here? WHEN did they come here? These questioned raced through Mark's mind.

The two boys heard the noise behind them again. Raf jumped and screamed. That was when they turned around and saw the little monster causing the chaos. Raf screamed once again. Raf, this time, jumped into Mark, wrapping his arms and legs around older boy. Mark looked down at Raf with a cocked eyebrow. Sure, it was startling but not that scary.

Raf seemed to realize what he had done and slowly released his grip on Mark. "W-where did you come from?" Raf asked nervously before laughing in admiration as the unidentified machine came even closer with the cute eyes. "The Autobots never said anything about pets."

"I'm not sure it is." Mark muttered as he held up the screw and looked at it.

The creature perked up when it saw the screw. Mark and Raf noticed, so Mark gave the screw to Raf.

Raf held up the screw for the creature to see. "Wanna to play fetch?" He asked with a smile. The creature hopped up and down before running around in excited circles, like a dog. Raf threw it and off the robot went. "Go get it." He cheered happily. As the robot reached the screw, he started eating it. "No! Don't eat that! You're going to choke!" But it ate it completely without choking. It turned back to Raf and Mark.

"Or not?" Mark commented as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the creature.

The creature went to Raf's leg and cuddled next to his leg, making happy chirping and clicks.

"Let's show the other!" Raf said excitedly as he couldn't wait to show Jack and Miko.

Mark nodded in agreement but merely wanted to make sure it was the Autobots' pet. The two boys started walking towards the main area with the creature happily running around them and occasionally hopping.

Unbeknownst to the boys, further down the corridor, an outlet was ripped to shreds. The wires and cables were ripped out and sparking slightly.

_**In the Main Meeting Area of the Base,**_

Jack and Miko were engrossed in their game. "Come on. Come on. You want some?" Jack asked as he gently rammed his car into Miko's car…before crashing it completely. His car then passed the finish line. "In! Your! FACE!" He cheered before doing a really silly happy dance.

Suddenly the light flickered off and on. "What the?!" Jack said in confusion before realizing what it was. "Great! Power failure!" He complained.

Miko looked at the television and smirked to herself. "Awwww, it wiped out our game." She pouted but didn't really sound upset.

Jack looked and sputtered. "B-But I was winning!" He whined.

"Bummer." Miko tormented as she tossed aside the controller.

However, Ratchet didn't notice the flickering lights as he was plagued by another electrical complication within the Autobot base. And this one would potentially lead to a life-or-death situation. Not just for them, but for Optimus, Elita, and Arcee who are unknowingly trapped in the Arctic with no way out.

"We most definitely have a problem." Ratchet stated as he pulled out a circuit board and found that it had several tiny bite marks in it. "But what could have caused this?" He wondered as the electricity died down and came back to life around them.

Everyone looked up at the lights. "Or that." Bulkhead piped in.

"Must be the main grid, hopefully, it isn't a substation malfunction." Ratchet remarked before looking back at the circuit board.

"Hey, guys! Look what we found!" Raf's voice called out.

"We're busy!" Ratchet called back in annoyance. He looked at Raf and screamed in horror as he saw the little guy in Raf's arms.

Once Bumblebee and Bulkhead got a look, they joined Ratchet in the little scream fest and activated their blasters, pointing them at Raf and the creature. Immediately, Mark moved Raf behind him while Jack and Miko ran in front of them, ready to protect the smaller boy from the crazy Autobots.

"Hey! Hey! What's with you guys?" Miko demanded.

"Scraplet! SCRAPLET!" Bulkhead cried.

Mark's eyes widened in horror as he realized what the creature Raf was holding was.

"What's a Scraplet?" Raf asked in confusion.

"The most dangerous vermin to ever crawl upon the face of Cybertron." Ratchet answered darkly.

Jack and Miko got a good look at the creature in Raf's arms. "This? Are you kidding me?" Jack scoffed in disbelief.

"You're giant robots! Scrappy here is…teeny." Miko pointed out dryly.

"You have no idea the damage that teeny thing could do!" Bulkhead retorted fearfully.

"Aw, he wouldn't hurt anything." Raf argued as he shook his head as Scrappy came to life in his arms.

Immediately, Mark knew of the danger it would bring. Moreover, his fears were only confirmed by the Scraplet's hungry stare at the three Autobots standing before the little guy.

Suddenly, the Scraplet's mouth opened, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth and snapping its jaws hungrily at the Autobots. It gave off the sound of a drill. It broke free from Raf's grasp and started approaching them.

Instantly, Bulkhead and Bumblebee started shooting at the tiny Scraplet. But all of their shots missed the tiny evil Scraplet. In fact, it jumped onto Bumblebee's leg and started eating away at the paint and top layer of metal.

Bumblebee began freaking out as the Scraplet moved around on his body. He fell to the ground and grabbed the Scraplet with his hand. However, the Scraplet took the opportunity to begin eating his arm. Bumblebee was scared. The Scraplet was close to eating him alive! He brushed it off his arm.

The Scraplet got back up and prepared to attack again only to have a crowbar come down on it. However, it wasn't Mark who was holding the crowbar. It was Raf! The youngest human began whaling on the Scraplet until it was completely destroyed.

Once the Scraplet was down, Mark grabbed the crowbar to stop Raf.

"Easy there, killer." Jack joked as he grabbed Raf's shoulder.

"Whoa. I did not see that coming!" Miko remarked as Raf ran towards Bumblebee.

"It's always the quiet ones you least expect." Mark commented.

"I'm sorry, Bumblebee!" Raf apologized.

"_(It's okay, Raf. You didn't know.)"_ Bumblebee responded reassuringly.

"Is he gonna be OK?" Raf asked Ratchet with worry as the Medic scanned the wounded area.

"Only a mesh wound. He'll live." Ratchet reassured the young human.

"Now do you believe me?" Bulkhead asked the humans. "All Scraplets do is dismantle machinery and eat anything metal! Especially living metal!"

"Well…bug squashed. Game over…right?" Jack asked nervously.

"No. When it comes to Scraplets, there's never just one." Ratchet retorted darkly. "And I fear I know how they got in here." Ratchet led the group to the bay where they kept the pod discovered in the Arctic. The pod had a hole in it now, showing that something had broken out of it. "It's a trap. A Scraplet trap." He said after scanning the interior.

"Uh, an empty Scraplet trap." Bulkhead corrected nervously.

"It was most likely ejected into space eons ago, only to wind up in the Arctic, were the subzero temperatures kept them in stasis." Ratchet surmised, as he looked deeper into the Scraplet trap. '_Who'd thought it had been a good idea to seal them into a metal prison anyways?'_ The medic thought as he studied the bite marks puncturing from the trap.

"Until we brought the thaw." Jack commented.

"Now they're wide away and ready to brunch." Miko added.

"So…how many are we talking about?" Raf asked nervously.

"A thousand…if we're even that lucky…" Ratchet answered as he deactivated his scanner and looked around, cautiously. "But with the power malfunctions and the GroundBridge damage are sure enough signs that their infestation is well underway."

_**In the Arctic,**_

Optimus, Elita One, and Arcee were continuing their recon mission, completely unaware of what had taken place back at base. They had split up to cover more ground. Optimus was climbing down a cliff side when his Autobot insignia started beeping and flashing blue. "Arcee, Elita, my sensors have just reached the blue zone, what is your status?" He asked over their com-link.

The insignias of both femmes had gone off as well. "Same for me." Elita reported.

"Ditto." Arcee replied simply.

"Guess we better call for pickup, before things get chilly." Elita stated.

"Don't you mean chillier." Arcee corrected playfully.

Optimus agreed and activated his com-link to the base. "Optimus to base, core temperature readings have reached the blue zone. Prepare to activate GroundBridge." Optimus requested into the radio…only to get electrical static as his response, surprising him.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet was at the base computer trying to contact Optimus but the computer screens weren't working properly. "Ratchet to Optimus, do you read? We have a situation." He said but the communications were down and all he got was static. "Scrap! The Scraplets have got into the com-link systems." He said furiously as he turned to the others. Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Jack, Miko, and Raf were looking at him. Mark had gone off to another part of the base to check on something. "If we don't eradicate these creatures immediately, they will reduce the entire Base into a scrapheap." Ratchet informed the group.

"I say we bug out of here and let 'em keep it!" Bulkhead shouted in fear with Bumblebee agreeing.

"Evacuation is not an option." Ratchet answered sternly. "If we don't get the GroundBridge online, Optimus, Elita, and Arcee will perish."

"They…will?" Jack asked in surprise, as he didn't think cold weather could stop someone like Optimus Prime.

Miko stomped towards Bulkhead. "Bulkhead, you never run." She argued, as she couldn't understand why Bulkhead was so scared.

"Miko, you haven't seen what a swarm of these things devour a Bot or a Con. I have!" Bulkhead informed her. "They pick you apart from the inside out, going for the small, juicy bits first… Fuse by fuse… Circuit by circuit, till there is nothing left and I mean nothing! Not even your optics." He shuddered at that last part.

Jack immediately realized the gravity of the situation. "You have to let us help." He insisted.

"We're not made of metal." Raf said.

"Typically I find your fleshiness to be your least inviting quality." Ratchet stated. "But it would appear to provide an advantage under these circumstances." He said.

"Okay, good, then we pair off." Jack said. "Mark and I will watch you back while repair the GroundBridge."

"While we go on a bug hunt." Miko added, sounding excited. The other Autobots looked at each other and shuttered in fear.

"If you're going on a bug hunt, you'll have to be smart about it." Mark said as he rejoined the group, pushing a medical gunnery that had several fire extinguishers on it. He grabbed one and tossed it to Miko, who caught it with a grunt.

"And how does gathering fire extinguishers amount to being smart about it?" Miko asked in confusion.

"Fire extinguishers produce a burst of cold that should cause the Scraplets to freeze up." Mark explained. "Given how the extreme cold of the Artic kept them is stasis for all this time, it stands to reason that using a fire extinguisher on them would result in the Scraplets freezing up enough for us to smash them. Since according to Arcee, Scraplets as similar to piranha, they no doubt attack in swarms so you'll need to use the fire extinguisher first and then smash em."

Ratchet was surprised by this and couldn't fault Mark's logic or his plan. "Agreed." He said with a nod.

_**In the Arctic,**_

A snowstorm was raging as Optimus, Elita, and Arcee returned to their arrival point. The Autobots were barely able to keep from falling over. Optimus tried to call to Base again. "Optimus to Base, do you read?" He asked but received no reply.

Arcee collapsed from the cold. Elita went over to her friend and helped her back to her feet. "Are you sure a nice long drive wouldn't help?" Arcee asked Optimus as he rejoined the two femmes. "I hear Miami's beautiful this time of year."

"I'm afraid the nearest temperate climate is too distant, Arcee." Elita stated. "Attempting to reach it…"

"Would expend too much energy and hasten the freezing process." Optimus finished. "Until Ratchet sends for us, and he will, our best option would be to seek shelter and insolate ourselves."

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Miko was armed with a fire extinguisher in hand and a crowbar on her back. "I get to be your bodyguard for once. How cool is that?" Miko gushed excitedly as Bulkhead swung his cannon fists around like a mad man.

"Raf, found the first one here…right?" Bulkhead asked nervously into the com-link.

Suddenly, the lights went out.

"**AAAAHHHH!"** A high-pitched, girlie scream filled the hallway.

Miko couldn't believe it. That was quite possibly the most girlish scream she would ever hear in her lifetime. And it didn't come from her! It came from her beloved tough guy Autobot guardian, Bulkhead!

The lights came back on. "Did you just scream like a little girl?" Miko asked with a sly smirk as she turned towards Bulkhead.

"No…" Bulkhead denied quickly before looking embarrassed. "Maybe…" He admitted before shaking his head. "Can we talk about this later?" He begged Miko.

Miko just shrugged and they continued scouting the base for any Scraplets that have to be destroyed. They ventured from room to room, hallway to hallway, section to section. And so far…nothing jumped at them.

Suddenly, they heard clanging which made Bulkhead even more paranoid.

"Take her easy, Bulk." Miko said, trying to calm the rapidly unnerved Bulkhead. "Just stay focused. Everything is going to be-."

Miko was cut off by Bulkhead shooting at the walls and ceiling as he heard even more metallic clanging. When he shot at the right spot on the ceiling, cables fell down on him, which caused him to scream like a little girl…AGAIN! Miko watched Bulkhead as he continued his girlish screams and waving his arms around like a little girl trapped in a spider web with a facial expression that clearly read, 'Dude. What? The hell?'

"OK. Wish I hadn't seen that." Miko remarked to herself before trying to calm her partner. "Bulkhead! You're fine! It's just a bunch of cables!" She shouted.

That stopped Bulkhead's girlish screams and arm waving.

Bulkhead realized she was right. "Oh. Right. Cables." He said before he laughed sheepishly as he tugged at one to prove his point… only to have dozens of Scraplets ran down on him from above, which caused him to scream like a little girl once again. Miko began spraying the fire extinguisher at the Scraplets swarming Bulkhead's body and the ground around him.

_**In another part of the base,**_

Raf and Bumblebee also scanned the hallways of the base looking for any signs of Scraplet infestation. Like Miko, Raf was armed with a fire extinguisher (after being shown how to use it by Jack) and a crowbar ready to attack any Scraplet. However, they haven't seen a single sign of Scraplets…yet.

"_(This is not good.)"_ Bumblebee beeped when he saw the damage being done to the base.

"Don't these things ever stop eating?" Raf demanded in annoyance as they ran to an air vent that has become the latest victim of the Scraplet infestation.

Bumblebee ripped open the remainder and Raf let out a warrior's cry, but they didn't find any Scraplets. They did hear clanging though, lots of clanging, clanging that made them more nervous. Their fears were confirmed when dozens of Scraplets jumped out of a floor drain snapping their hungry jaws and flashing their razor sharp teeth for all to see. Immediately, Bumblebee began shooting at them, but deep down inside… He knew that none of his firepower used in one shot would be enough to stop them.

Fortunately, Raf was with him blasting the Scraplets with his fire extinguisher as they approached.

_**Back in the Main Area of the Base,**_

Ratchet was busy working as Mark and Jack paced back and forth, keeping their eyes out for any Scraplets. Both boys were armed with fire extinguishers, keeping their ears open for the sounds of Scraplets. They had just heard the sounds of Bulkhead's blasters going off at something. "How's it going over there, Ratchet?" Jack asked.

"I've repaired the damaged conductors and rerouted the central conduits, but the GroundBridge still won't receive power." Ratchet growled as he slammed his fist into the floor angrily. He needed to fix the GroundBridge soon. Optimus's, Elita's, and Arcee's lives depended on it, on him.

"Maybe the damage they did is affecting the GroundBridge from somewhere else?" Mark suggested uncertainly. After all, what did he know about GroundBridges? Ratchet seemed to share that same thought because he only scoffed in response. It was silent for a minute before Ratchet sighed and turned to look at Mark.

"Mark, how were you able to make the comparison between Scraplets and piranhas?" Ratchet asked.

"Last week, Arcee and I were out for a drive when she spotted a fumigation tent over a house and asked about it." Mark explained. "I told her what it was for and asked if there were any pests that resided on Cybertron. That was when she told me about Scraplets."

"And will Arcee tell me the same thing if I ask her?" Ratchet asked shrewdly.

"Yup." Mark answered immediately without hesitation. Ratchet nodded before going back to work.

Just then, the boys heard a metallic clicking sound coming from somewhere close. Readying their extinguishers, the boys looked around before looking up and seeing a large number of Scraplets coming out of the exhaustion vent high up on the wall.

The Scraplets looked around before locking their sights onto Ratchet. They began making a whirling metal sound as they spun their teeth hungrily at the Autobot Medic. The Scraplets jumped off the wall and began flying using small jetpacks that were built into their bodies.

"Whoa!" Jack shouted in surprise as this was unexpected. "They can fly! You never said they could fly!"

"Neither did Arcee." Mark muttered to himself in annoyance at the lack of information. "Ratchet, get down!" He and Jack took aim at the approaching horde of Scraplets. Just as Mark had assumed, the cold nitro cloud from the fire extinguisher sent the Scraplets crashing into the ground. The Scraplets at the back of the group broke off and moved around the boys to attack Ratchet but Jack rushed after them, knocking some of the Scraplets out of the air as he swung the fire extinguisher at them.

Mark continued blasting the Scraplets with his fire extinguisher even as they landed on Ratchet, before they could do too much damage. The pair of fire extinguishers were able to stop the Scraplets. However, just as that batch of Scraplets fell, even more Scraplets arrived in the area.

Suddenly, Bulkhead and Bumblebee entered the area with Miko and Raf with them. "Ratchet, get the patch kit!" Bulkhead requested. "We're leaking Energon like-WHOA!" He stopped his sentence at the sight of swarming Scraplets.

The Scraplets flew right at Bulkhead and Bumblebee as Miko and Raf began blasting their fire extinguishers at the flying pests. Unfortunately, there were so many Scraplets that the Autobots were quickly overwhelmed. The Autobots fell over as they tried to get their Scraplets off their bodies while their human friends blasted them with the fire extinguishers.

_**In the Arctic,**_

Optimus, Elita and Arcee were able to find shelter from the blizzard but not from the cold. They were sitting against the frozen wall, huddled together, trying to keep warm. Optimus held Elita in his arms close to his body, as if to shield his Sparkmate from the cold, while Arcee was curled up into a ball next to him, trying to insulate herself from the cold. Optimus looked over at Arcee and saw that her optics were closed. "Arcee, wake up!" He ordered gently before looking down at Elita, who still had her eyes open but just barely.

Arcee groaned and moved. "Just resting my eyes." She murmured as she rubbed her blue and lavender optics.

"The longer we remain alert, the longer we remain alive." Optimus told her as he ran his hand up and down her arm, trying to give his girlfriend some warmth.

"What do you suggest?" Elita asked.

"Wait. How about a game?" Arcee suggested. "Let's play 'Who Screwed Things Up Back at Base'?"

"Our predicament could be the result of a simple malfunction." Optimus stated.

"Caused by Bulkhead." Arcee guessed with a smile.

"Let's see, no com-link, maybe even no power." Elita added. "The big lug probably tripped over a cord. He's never been too graceful."

"Remember when we were all still new to the Earth and Bulkhead walked into those power lines?" Arcee chuckled at the memory. "Who knew he could dance like that?"

Elita giggled. "Yeah, Bumblebee managed to get a recording and showed it to me after I got here." She stated.

"Bulkhead maybe…too large…for this world, but his inner strength is without bounds. One must not be measured by size alone." Optimus said confidently.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Mark and Jack were continuing to spray the Scraplets with the fire extinguishers but only to make sure they stayed offline as the ground was now littered with the bodies of frozen or destroyed Scraplets. Raf and Miko were now armed with crowbars and were smashing up the Scraplets to make sure they were no longer a threat.

"Did we get them all?" Jack asked as they finished off the last Scraplet. The Autobots were leaning against the wall, moaning in pain and agony.

The question was answered by an ominous sound coming from the corridors of the base.

"Hardly…" Ratchet said. "These were just scouts."

"_(Oh you've gotta be fragging kidding me!)"_ Bumblebee groaned as he sprawled out.

"So the rest of them know we're in here?" Bulkhead asked in fear.

"And if we allow ourselves to become the next meal, Optimus, Elita, and Arcee will never make it home." Ratchet stated. "We must get the Ground Bridge operational." He said with determination.

"So we could send them anywhere on Earth." Max said.

"Why not back to the Arctic?" Jack suggested.

"Good idea, we already know they don't go so well with extreme cold." Mark said in agreement.

"Sweet! One stop shopping." Miko cheered.

"Giving the body mass of the Scraplets, subzero temperature should freeze them on contact." Ratchet concurred. "So think Ratchet, think. If the Ground Bridge is still not receiving power, than…there must be a breach in the Energon fuel line." Ratchet said.

"Ugh, if we weren't breaching, one of us could get back over there and fix it." Bulkhead said.

"Where do we find it?" Jack asked.

"And how do we fix it?" Raf asked.

Ratchet gave them a repair kit and gave them instructions on what to do. Mark elected to stay behind in order to defend the Autobots in case the Scraplets decide to show up before the repair is done.

_**Shortly, in another part of the base,**_

After ten minutes of walking, being careful to avoid triggering a Scraplet into go after the Autobots, the three Humans found the main fuel line. "Remember, we're okay." Jack reminded Miko and Raf as they walked. He was carrying the tool kit in hand. "We're not metal." They soon came to a part of the pipe that was leaking a blue liquid. That liquid was Energon. "There's the breach!" Jack told the others, pointing it out. "We have to work fast."

_**Back to the Autobots and Mark,**_

The Autobots were weak and starting to run out of Energon in their bodies while Mark stood guard.

"Perhaps you should have accompanied the others in repairing the leak, Mark." Ratchet suggested as he watched the boy stand guard in front of him and the others.

"And leave you three to deal with the Scraplets on your own, when you can barely stand?" Mark asked back skeptically as he raised an eyebrow at the old bot. "Jack, Miko, and Raf can handle the leak, the Scraplets should leave them alone… if they don't sense any hostile intent that is." He said as he lightly brushed a hand over a cut in his side. He got it from one of the Scraplets as he was defending Ratchet. It was shallow, as were most of his cuts, that didn't mean they didn't sting though.

"Mark, I-I'm sorry about…" Ratchet trailed off as he looked away from the boy, unable to meet his gaze. He'd never been very good when it came to apologies. They were supposed to be the ones protecting the humans, not the other way around. This was the second time that Mark had bled for them.

"It's fine, Ratchet, things happen." Mark said gruffly as he looked in the other direction, also avoiding the Mech's gaze. He has never been too good with these sort of situations either.

"So _if_ we get…" Bulkhead corrected himself, getting everyone's attention. "_When_ we get the GroundBridge open, do we send the creepy-crawlies out or our Bots in?" He asked, trying to understand the plan.

"Optimus, Elita, and Arcee will be fresh meat." Ratchet said. "If we bring them in first, the Scraplets will have no reason to leave. We'll need bait." He informed the others.

"Where are we going to get bait?!" Bulkhead shouted angrily. "The Scraplets have already helped themselves to everything in here!"

_**Back at the pipe's breach,**_

Jack was carefully welding a panel into place with a blowtorch while Miko and Raf held it in place over the breach. As soon as they were done, the swarm flew by them. "They're getting ready to feed!" Raf said in concern from the wounded Autobots.

_**In the main area,**_

The Scraplets burst through the vents and were swarming in the air over the Autobots. The Autobots gasped and tried to remain still and quiet as they flattened their bodies to the ground, in hopes of not being seen. Mark readied his fire extinguisher and hoped the others would be done soon.

_**In the Arctic,**_

Optimus, Arcee, and Elita were all panting heavily as they tried to stay awake. "You know the worst part?" Elita asked. "After battling Decepticons all these years, getting smacked down, shot at, blown up. This is how our lights go out."

"I know what you mean." Arcee said as she laid against Optimus's side. "I had hoped that if I even went offline, I'd be in some sort of glorious battle against the Cons, not

"Arcee, Elita, this may not be the finish we had planned, but if this is indeed the end…" Optimus said as he reaching out his hand. Elita and Arcee placed their hands in his as he spoke. "If we are to become one with the AllSpark…"

"It's been an honor serving with you, Optimus Prime, Elita One." Arcee said with a small smile.

"Likewise, Arcee." Elita said as she returned the smile.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Jack, Miko and Raf raced back into the main meeting area. "Ratchet, all systems go!" Jack shouted.

"Fire it up!" Miko added.

Ratchet weakly stood up and grabbed the control lever. "GroundBridge… activated…" He announced as he pulled down the lever, before falling to the ground once more.

_**In the Artic,**_

Optimus, Elita and Arcee were about to go offline when the GroundBridge vortex opened. Optimus heard the sound and opened his optics.

_**Back at the base,**_

The Scraplets were busy devouring the metal support beams hanging from the ceiling.

Ratchet lied next to the GroundBridge controls severely weakened from the Scraplets' attack. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were slumped against the wall not far from him. Above them, Scraplets were swarming. Suddenly, Bulkhead got an idea.

"Bait, huh?" Bulkhead pondered aloud as he approached the GroundBridge and waved his arms around to gain the Scraplets' attention. Mark stood next to Bulkhead having realized what the former Wrecker was going to do and ready to help any way he could. The Scraplets saw him. "Ready for the main course?" He asked them and got a drilling sound in response. "Come and get it!"

As Bulkhead staggered into the GroundBridge portal, the Scraplets hungrily followed him snapping their jaws filled with razor sharp teeth. Mark followed Bulkhead through the GroundBridge. As the Scraplets flew above them, Ratchet pushed Bumblebee flat onto his back on the ground. Jack, Miko, and Raf just stood there and watched as the Scraplets followed Bulkhead through the portal. They had done it. They had sent them back to the Arctic where they belong. However, all they could do is pray that they weren't too late to save Optimus, Elita, and Arcee.

In the Groundbridge, Mark was blasting the Scraplets that managed to latch onto the green Autobot.

_**In the Arctic,**_

Optimus had managed to wake Elita and Arcee, and the three of them were slowly staggering towards the GroundBridge vortex. They saw Bulkhead come through the Vortex with Mark at his side. At first, they thought Bulkhead had come to assist them then they saw something wasn't right. "DOWN! DOWN!" Bulkhead and Mark shouted at them. Bulkhead fell forward while Mark dove into the snow, his body painfully clenching up at the frigid weather.

Optimus's optics went wide with horror when he saw a swarm of Scraplets coming through the GroundBridge. The Scraplets were heading straight for Optimus, Elita, and Arcee. Optimus placed himself between the femmes and the Scraplets.

It proved to be unnecessary as the artic temperatures froze the Scraplets. The now harmless frozen Scraplets, pelted the armored skin of the three Autobots.

Bulkhead lifted his head and brushed off the frozen Scraplets from his body. "I'd invite you in, but the place is a mess." He joked. Somehow, Mark still managed to scoff through his chattering teeth.

Suddenly, Elita One collapsed to the ground. "Elita!" Optimus shouted as he picked up his Sparkmate and immediately mustered all the strength that he could to get her through the GroundBridge.

_**Later, at the Autobot Base,**_

Bulkhead was right when he said that the place was a mess. The place was virtually destroyed from the Scraplet infestation. Optimus and Ratchet were resting against the wall. Originally, Ratchet had tried to get Optimus to rest on a berth in order to defrost properly. However, Optimus insisted that Bumblebee have a berth as he suffered the worst injuries from the Scraplet infestation and needing it more than him. He gazed worriedly at Elita who laid on the second berth still unconscious. Her temperature was steadily rising back to normal temperature. However, she is still to regain consciousness. Jack never left her side. Earlier, Ratchet said that Elita would wake up when she regained enough strength. However, he still had his doubts.

Mark, Jack, Miko, Raf and Sarah were all doing what they could to help the recovering Autobots. Mark had called his mother, Sarah, telling her what had happened and she came immediately to help. All of the Autobots were hooked up to pieces of medical equipment.

"Report biocircuitry status?" Ratchet requested.

"Levels are rising!" Mark reported.

"Excellent. Rafael, keep a close watch on Bumblebee's electropulse monitor." Ratchet instructed. "Miko, check Bulkhead's interface patch. Jack, Sarah, keep an eye on Elita's temperature and spark pulse readings." Ratchet instructed.

"It's steady!" Raf announced.

"Looking good!" Miko observed giving Ratchet a thumbs-up.

"Elita's temperature is still below normal range but her spark pulse is reading strong and steady." Sarah read.

"Perhaps you should get some rest yourself, old friend." Optimus suggested. "You saved quite a few lives today."

"It…wasn't all my doing." Ratchet admitted as he looked down at the humans that were working diligently. "We're just fortunate this infestation happened, on a Saturday." He remarked.

"Our human friends may be small, but they are strong." Optimus complimented the kids as he looked proudly at the young humans, his optics focusing on Mark and Jack, as he watched the two boys working together.

"AAAHHH!" A girly scream echoed throughout the base. The source of the scream was Miko!

"What the frag?!" Elita exclaimed as she awoke and bolted upright looking around frantically.

"Scraplet?!" Jack asked as he, Raf, and Mark each held a crowbar in hand.

"Spider!" Miko screeched fearfully. This caused everyone to look at her in disbelief. "Is it on me?!" Continuing to scream, Miko felt around her entire body and ran out of the room.

The others watched Miko's leave in disbelief. "…Did she just scream like a little girl?" Bulkhead asked.

_**That night, on a dirt road,**_

A 2009 Black Corvette z06 pulled up behind the other cars, its dark colored paint job lost on the crowed due to how little light there was at this time of night. Those that looked closely however, would see a dark red design on the left side of the car, just a little in front of the driver's door. The design looked like a face and was obviously an original as no one on Earth, except for a few, would be able to recognize it.

It was the Autobot symbol.

No one could see the driver due to the cars tinted windows, but seeing as he was new, no one really cared. Mark Shadow, the owner of the corvette, smiled to himself as the other cars pulled into position. He'd changed his clothes a little, his black biker jacket was replaced with a dark gray leather jacket that had a dark red Autobot insignia on the back that matched the one on his car.

Mark also wore a helmet, not the one he wore with Arcee, but a different one. It was black but was covered in a bright neon painting that was close to the color of Energon. The blue lines twisted over each other, looking more like a skull with veins.

Mark was lucky he didn't keep his car at the Autobot Base once Ratchet was finished upgrading it, otherwise the Scraplets would've probably eaten it. The neighbor across the street, Old Man Jack, had a garage that wasn't attached to his house and allowed Mark to use it to store any equipment he was working on. Old Man Jack did this as he had insisted on repaying Mark and his mother for occasionally stopping over to see him and his dog. Old Man Jack didn't have any nearby family and was glad for the occasional visits.

A pretty female moved to stand in front of the girls, her short skirt flaring a little in the late nights' breeze. Mark smirked as she winked in his direction. As the girl threw her hands downward, the black Corvette raced off with the other cars, leaving most in his wake.

Mark whooped and hollered as he barreled down the road, leaving behind his doubts and everything else that had to do with his day life, because right now he was a street race and no one else.

**To Be Continued…**

_**Author's Note (Important!)**__**: I just want everyone to know for a fact that Sarah Shadow is not being a bad mother or careless with her son's life. She's being understanding. She knows that Mark is too much like his father to stay still very long. He has a desire for excitement and a thirst for adventure. The only reason she is allowing Mark is street race is that: One, Ratchet is capable of upgrading the car to make it far safer than any normal car that it on the road; and Two, she knows that Mark would eventually do something like this without her permission, this way she knows her son will be safe.**_


	8. Chapter 8: Con Job

_**Reminder**__**: Poll is up for name of OC Autobot. Just so, you know I may or may not use the winning name. Just curious as to which one people like the most.**_

**Transformers Prime**

**Chapter 8: Con Job**

_**The Autobot Base,**_

It has been three weeks since the Scraplet infestation and Ratchet was still working to get the GroundBridge back up and running properly. It seemed like every time he found and fix some damaged component, he'd find two more that he somehow overlooked. Even though Ratchet didn't say it out loud, he was grateful for the assistance of Mark and Rafael. The two humans were able to get into areas Ratchet couldn't get to without taking the machine apart and managed to find some damaged parts that Ratchet had missed. It was a good thing too as those parts were important to keep the GroundBridge stable.

Currently, Miko was riding on Bulkhead's shoulder as she had been helping Bulkhead with his chores around the base. "Okay, chores are all done. Now can we do some dune bashing?" Miko asked excitedly.

"I don't know Miko." Bulkhead said, reluctant to go do that again. "Last time I spent a week picking sand out of my actuator." He saw Miko's disappointed look. "But there is a monster truck rally in town." He offered as that was something he could enjoy.

"Optimus!" Ratchet called from the computer console getting everyone's attention, not just the leader of Team Prime. "I'm receiving a signal from a restricted band. It appears to be coming from a starship inside this solar system." He announced as Optimus, Elita, Arcee, and Bumblebee approached him. Ratchet typed in some commands. "It's an Autobot Identification Beacon!" He gasped in shock.

"So there are other bots out there?" Jack asked curiously. He, Raf, and Mark were standing on the raised platform.

"The masses scattered throughout the galaxy when Cybertron finally went dark." Elita explained.

"But Cons have been known to bait traps with false beacons." Arcee warned/reminded the group.

"Way to kill the mood, Arcee." Mark commented with a teasing grin. Arcee gave him a playful glare.

"Unknown vessel, this is Autobot Outpost Omega One. Identify yourself." Optimus requested.

"_I've had warmer welcomes from Decepticon Combat Brigades."_ An annoyed voice replied sarcastically.

Bulkhead instantly jerked in the direction of the communication at the sound of the voice. His sudden movement almost caused Miko to fall off his shoulder but she caught herself. "Wheeljack?!" He exclaimed excitedly as he approached the console. "You old Con Crusher! What are you doing all the way out here?"

"_Bulkhead? That you?"_ The identified Wheeljack asked curiously. _"What's with all the security?"_

"The rock we're on is crawling with Cons. How soon can you get here and even the odds?" Bulkhead asked anxiously.

"_Sometime tomorrow…if I put metal to the pedal."_ Wheeljack replied sounding a little anxious himself.

"Another bot's coming here! How cool is that?" Miko gushed excitedly, getting a nod from Bulkhead.

Optimus thought about where he'd heard that name before when it came to him. "Wheeljack… I know him by reputation only. Can verify his voice print?" Optimus asked Bulkhead.

"He is one thousand percent the real deal, Optimus." Bulkhead replied immediately.

Optimus nodded in understanding. "We will send landing coordinates, Wheeljack. Safe journey." Optimus bided.

"See you soon, buddy! I'll make sure you get a proper welcome!" Bulkhead promised. With that, the communication was ended.

"So who's the boyfriend?" Arcee joked casually.

Bulkhead chuckled. "Oh. Me and Jackie go way back." He explained. "We were part of the same warrior unit: The Wreckers." He slammed a fist into a palm. "Which means the Cons will wish he had never found us." Bulkhead assured the others.

"So you and he both served under Ultra Magnus?" Elita One asked curiously.

"Oh yeah." Bulkhead said with a grin. "Ultra Magnus recruited both me and Wheeljack personally."

"Who's Ultra Magnus?" Mark asked curiously.

"Ultra Magnus was Optimus's top lieutenant during the War for Cybertron." Arcee answered. "Though from what I remembered he was very by the book, so it's kind of hard to imagine him leading a team like the Wreckers."

"I'll admit that Ultra Magnus can be a bit of a stiff at times but he is not afraid to bring the hammer down when the time calls for it." Bulkhead assured the group.

_**On the Decepticon Warship,**_

"_Wheeljack? You old Con Crusher! What are you doing all the way out here?"_

"_Bulkhead? That you? What's will all the security?"_

"_The rock we're on is crawling with Cons. How soon can you get here and even the odds?"_

Soundwave had discovered and recorded the communication between the Autobots and Wheeljack. He was now playing it for Starscream.

"A war hero, hmmm?" Starscream pondered aloud. "We haven't much time. Makeshift!" He called out.

Makeshift approached the two Decepticons. As soon as Makeshift was close enough, Soundwave shot out one of his tentacles which stabbed into Makeshift's chest. The instant the tentacle hit, Soundwave began downloading something into Makeshift. Within moments, Makeshift wasn't Makeshift anymore, but rather a familiar face that is familiar to all Cybertronians, Autobot and Decepticon alike…

"I too know how to give a proper welcome." Starscream remarked.

_**The next day, at the Autobot Base,**_

"Wheeljack's ship is approaching the landing zone." Arcee reported as everyone was watching the computer screen that was tracking Wheeljack's ship.

"You think he's here to visit?" Raf questioned.

"He's most likely just coming to thrash some Cons." Mark commented considering what Bulkhead had told them about Wheeljack.

"Maybe he'll stay!" Miko piped in excitedly before adopting a thinking pose. "Hmm… Have to find his own human though."

Ratchet typed some commands into the GroundBridge controls. "GroundBridge cycling up." He proclaimed proudly…before electricity cackled from the control system. He banged his fist on the controls, causing it to stop acting up. "Blasted Scraplets! The equipment hasn't been the same since the infestation." Ratchet grumbled.

"So Wheeljack's gonna land halfway around the world and then you'll bridge him here." Jack surmised in confusion.

"Security, Jack." Mark said as if it were obvious.

Optimus nodded in Mark's assessment. "We can't risk revealing the location of our base, just in case the Decepticons are tracking Wheeljack's ship." Optimus explained.

Miko looked over at Bulkhead who was pacing. "Dude! I've never seen you so stoked!" She commented as she saw him pacing.

"Oh! You're gonna love, Wheeljack!" Bulkhead promised excitedly. "We were like brothers! And tonight, we're gonna party!" Bulkhead proclaimed

"SWEET!" Miko cheered before the alarms went off.

"Bogies! Closing fast on Wheeljack's position!" Arcee reported.

"Con scum!" Bulkhead cursed angrily as he glared at the computer screen.

_**Near the landing zone,**_

Five Decepticon fliers surrounded Wheeljack's ship taking their shots at the Wrecker. Thankful for Wheeljack, he had gone through intense military training and even more intense battles during the war to know what to do in situations like this. He managed to pull some maneuvers to avoid the enemy fire but a stray Decepticon laser beam hit his engine. With the rear end burning bright orange flames and black smoke emitting from the blaze, Wheeljack went down. The ship made a huge dent on the desert as it crashed and skidded for a few feet.

Satisfied with their work, the Decepticon bogies landed in the crash path and transformed into their true bipedal forms as they approached the stricken ship. One Decepticon took one-step towards the ship, and that was all it took.

A blast came from the sandy smoke and hit the Decepticon warrior square in the chest, knocking it to the ground. The remaining Decepticon warriors charged their blasters as Wheeljack stepped through the smoke with his blaster smoking.

"If you're trying to ruin my day, you're gonna have to try harder." Wheeljack remarked as his faceguard slid over his mouth.

The Decepticons immediately started firing lasers at Wheeljack. Wheeljack danced around the crater his crashed ship had created. Finally having enough, he jumped high in the air and body slammed into one of the Decepticons. He immediately moved and began shooting at the Decepticons taking out one after the other. The Cons couldn't even land a single shot on Wheeljack.

"You Cons have grown soft on me." Wheeljack tormented as he drew his swords and charged at the remaining Decepticons.

_**On the Decepticon Warship,**_

Starscream and Soundwave watched the battle unfold below them. Knowing that it wouldn't be long until help arrived, Starscream turned to Soundwave. "Swiftly, Soundwave! Before the Autobots arrive!" He instructed.

Soundwave just nodded and walked away.

_**Shortly, at the Autobot Base,**_

Bulkhead was impatiently waiting for the GroundBrige to activate. "Open the GroundBridge, Ratchet!" Bulkhead said anxiously. "We're missing all the action!"

Ratchet finally managed to get the GroundBridge to activate. "I prepare sick bay." He told Bulkhead.

Bulkhead laughed. "Who for, the Cons?" He chuckled. "This is Wheeljack we're talking about!" He, Arcee, and Bumblebee ran into the vortex.

_**At Wheeljack's Location,**_

The Autobot GroundBridge vortex appeared and Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bumblebee came through. When they arrived at the scene, they were expecting a fight. They were expecting to be attacked by the Decepticons. Therefore, they had their blasters ready to go. However, there was no need. Surrounding them were dismantled Decepticon warriors. Bulkhead could only stand and watch in pure amazement as 'Wheeljack' ran his blade through the remaining Decepticon and he fell to the ground.

"I taught him that." Bulkhead chuckled proudly.

"Ever think I might need a hand here?" 'Wheeljack' asked as he disposed of his blades and approached the three Autobots.

"What? And spoil the show?" Bulkhead scoffed.

"You missed one." Arcee pointed out.

That last one would be easily taken care of. 'Wheeljack' just unfolded his blaster from his arm and shot the Decepticon in the chest, causing him to fall down…again.

'Wheeljack' walked up a bit and stopped a few feet away, looking over the Autobots as he retracted the face plate over the lower half of his face. "If this is all you got, then this planet is in bigger trouble then I thought." 'Wheeljack' remarked.

Bulkhead ran up to his old friend and hugged him tight, lifting him up in the air whilst laughing in glee. "Jackie!" He shouted happily.

'Wheeljack' laughed back. "Watch the finish, you old wrecking ball!" He teased his 'friend'.

Arcee and Bumblebee just watched on with a grin. They had never seen this side of Bulkhead before, and it was funny to watch.

_**Shortly, at the Autobot Base,**_

The four Autobots made it back just fine, but when Ratchet shut it down it short-circuited again. This time the GroundBridge was down for a while.

"Hey, Wheeljack, meet my other best buddy, Miko." Bulkhead said as he gestured to the raised platform, where Miko was standing. "She can wreck with the best of us."

"Hiya." Miko said with a wave.

'Wheeljack' went up to the girl. "You keeping Bulkhead out of trouble?" He asked.

"I try but trouble finds us anyway." Miko answered with a grin and shrug.

"We're gonna get along just fine." 'Wheeljack' said with a grin. He then turned to Optimus, who was approaching them. "Optimus Prime, it's a privilege."

"Likewise, soldier. What have you to report on your long journey?" Optimus said.

"Been bouncing from rock to rock, searching for signs of friend or foe. Now, I've found both." 'Wheeljack' explained

"We are few, but strong." Optimus stated. "We had suffered great losses." He was referring to Cliffjumper's death and the Spacebridge's destruction. "But we have grown and we would relish welcoming a new member into our fold."

'Wheeljack' smiled. "I would be honored." He stated happily.

"Then let's get this party started." Bulkhead said and pounded his hand on 'Wheeljack's' back. 'Wheeljack' turned to Bulkhead and the two former Wreckers then did a chest pump.

"Oh joy." Ratchet said with sarcasm.

_**On the Decepticon Warship,**_

Starscream and Soundwave walked through the corridor of the Warship to the holding cells. "The moment Makeshift passed through their GroundBridge, we lost their signal." Starscream announced. "The Autobot base is no doubt heavily shielded to prevent us from locating it." They then came to the entrance of where they were heading. "No matter, I have complete faith in Makeshift." Starscream reassured as they walked into the holding cell.

Inside the holding cell, hanging from restraining bonds, was none other than Wheeljack.

"Our inside man is already inside." Starscream proclaimed to Wheeljack.

"Tell Megatron he's fragged in the head if he thinks Bulkhead won't sniff out an imposter." Wheeljack reported defiantly.

"Haven't you heard? I lead the Decepticons now." Starscream informed their prisoner.

"You?! HA!" Wheeljack scoffed in disbelief.

Starscream snarled angrily at Wheeljack. He was getting sick and tired of everyone doubting that he could lead the Decepticons. So he raised his clawed hand ready to strike Wheeljack and snuff out his spark. However, Soundwave immediately halted his actions, sending him a silent reminder.

"Yes…you're right, Soundwave." Starscream said as he pulled his arm free, understanding Soundwave's warning. "He may yet be of use." Starscream then turned back the Wheeljack. "Makeshift is very good at keeping up appearances. He need only fool your friends long enough to open their GroundBridge from within so that we may finally learn the location of the Autobot base and send in our strike team to stain its floor with spilled Energon of Optimus Prime and everyone he holds dear to him." Starscream sneered.

_**A few hours later, at the Autobot Base,**_

Miko was playing her guitar, which was hooked up to her amp. She was playing a loud song as Raf sat listening. "Come on, Jackie. Show me what you got!" Bulkhead challenged as he stood in a corner of the main area.

'Wheeljack' stood on the opposite side of the area with a large metal ball in his hands. He threw the ball at Bulkhead as hard as he could, causing it flying over the kids' heads, getting their attention.

The ball hit Bulkhead square in the chest, pushing him back a few feet as Bulkhead caught it. "Heh! Nice lob!" He complemented before sending the ball right back at 'Wheeljack'.

Mark, Jack, and Sarah were standing up on the raised platform. Jack was leaning on the railing next to Elita One, while Mark was by Arcee. "So what's that about?" Jack asked Elita.

"It's called lobbing, a favorite pass-time on Cybertron, especially among the warrior class." Elita explained.

"Seems a lot like catch but a bit more intense." Sarah commented as she watched on.

Miko went back to playing and saw Raf just sitting on the ground. "Come on, Raf. Show us some moves!" She encouraged as she began playing a song that sounded a lot like a techno-disco beat.

"Oh, alright." Raf said as he stood up. He started moving his limbs in a set of quick and precise movements that were all too familiar to the boys.

"Of course, the Robot." Jack chuckled as Mark shook his head in disbelief.

Bumblebee watched Raf's movements for a bit before following Raf's lead and began making the exact same movements.

Ratchet looked at the others. "Ugh…" He groaned in annoyance and rolled his optics. What would it take to get some peace and quiet so he could get some work done? Now he was wishing he was out of the room for the proceedings of this party.

"Where's Optimus?" Mark asked Arcee as he finally noticed the absence of the Autobot leader.

"Went for a drive." Arcee answered simply. "Primes don't party."

"Huh, I thought you would've gone with him, since you're his sparkmate and everything." Jack commented to Elita One, who shrugged.

"Space is a good thing in a relationship." Elita stated. "Besides, Optimus occasionally needs some time to think about things without anyone else around, including me."

"Coming at ya!" Bulkhead said as he threw the metal ball at 'Wheeljack'.

However, the throw was high, so 'Wheeljack' had to jump to try to capture it but he just barely missed it and it crashed into the wall nearby…and the crashed into Ratchet's nearly repaired GroundBridge controls.

Ratchet was startled by this and turned to glare at Bulkhead. "You know, I am attempting to perform sensitive calibrations here!" He shouted in frustration.

"Sorry, Doc, guess we're a little charged up." 'Wheeljack' apologized as he grabbed the lobbing ball and picked it up. He walked over to Ratchet and paused to look at the GroundBridge unit. "You built this bridge from scratch, huh?" He asked curiously.

"I did." Ratchet answered curtly.

"That's quite a feat of engineering." 'Wheeljack' complemented slyly.

"Yes. It is." Ratchet agreed happily. He was glad that someone was actually impressed by his work.

"Something wrong with it?" 'Wheeljack' asked curiously.

"I didn't care for the way it sounded this last jump. I put it in shutdown." Ratchet explained.

"What if you need to use it?" 'Wheeljack' continued questioning.

"Oooh, I can't interrupt the defrag process without causing irreparable damage." Ratchet replied with a shake of his head.

"So, uh, how long will the defrag take?" 'Wheeljack' finally asked the killer question.

"A few hours if, we're lucky, maybe longer." Ratchet admitted with a shrug before resuming his work.

Ratchet turned and missed the angry and annoyed look that appeared on 'Wheeljack's' face. Mark, who had been listening in on their conversation, didn't miss the look and narrowed his eyes at 'Wheeljack'. _'Why is he so interested in the GroundBridge?'_ Mark wondered suspiciously.

_**On the bridge of the Decepticon Warship,**_

Starscream was starting to grow impatient with waiting for Makeshift to complete his mission. "Makeshift still hasn't opened their GroundBridge or otherwise transmitted their coordinates." He commented. "His disguise may be flawless, but he won't fool the Autobots forever."

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Bulkhead was telling the humans the story about one of the missions he and Wheeljack took part in as members of the Wreckers. "So there we were. No communications, low on energon, surrounded by Cons, so what does Wheeljack do?" Bulkhead asked to the very interested Jack, Mark, Miko and Raf. "Tell them, Jacky!" He said with a chuckle.

Immediately, all eyes were on him. 'Wheeljack' laughed uncomfortable for a little bit. "What I do best." He answered.

Bulkhead laughed before finishing the story. "He chucked his only grenade smack into the main heat exchanger!" He announced.

"Yeah…seemed like a good idea at the time." 'Wheeljack' shrugged.

"The joint went supernova!" Bulkhead exclaimed, throwing his arms back.

"Awesome!" Miko sighed dreamily.

"Yeah, I'm still picking shrapnel out of my backside." Bulkhead remarked as he scratched his backside.

"I'm not surprised, given the size of your backside." Arcee said teasingly with a smirk.

"_(Good one, Arcee.)"_ Bumblebee chuckled. Even Elita One chuckled at that one as she had to agree with Arcee.

Bulkhead knelt down next to 'Wheeljack' and pointed to the grenade attached to 'Wheeljack's' hip. "There is it. Jacky's signature, one grenade, one shot." He said to the humans before noticing that 'Wheeljack' wasn't paying attention. "Hey, you alright?" He asked waving his hand in front of 'Wheeljack' to snap him out of his daze.

"What?" 'Wheeljack' responded.

"You don't seem like yourself." Bulkhead observed as he stood up straight.

"What do you mean?" 'Wheeljack' demanded as he stood.

"I don't know. You seem…quiet." Bulkhead pointed out with a shrug.

"Ah, I've been stuck in a can too long." 'Wheeljack' reasoned. "I should go topside before I go stir-crazy."

"I have patrol in the morning. You can come with." Bulkhead offered 'Wheeljack' excitedly.

"Let's go now." 'Wheeljack' requested.

"And break up the party?" Bulkhead objected. "Come on! The gang is loving you! You've gotta tell them about the Battle of Dark Mount Pass!"

"You tell them." 'Wheeljack' stated. "You're better at it. How about if Miko here shows me the rest of the base?" He suggested.

"Yeah, sure, Jacky, go ahead." Bulkhead agreed with a nervous laugh.

Miko hopped off her seat and to her feet. "Tour starts now!" She proclaimed as she approached 'Wheeljack'. "Do you play any instruments? Can you fly? Have you thrashed more Decepticons then Bulkhead?" She rattled off quickly.

"I should've known Miko would ask those questions." Mark muttered to himself quietly.

Elita, Arcee, and Bumblebee knew something was wrong with Bulkhead. The three looked at each other and had a mental debate. Who was going to be the one to say something to their friend? They were all worried. And they had every right to be worried and ask questions. Especially when they eventually find out what is truly going on. Eventually, it was decided that Elita would be the one to ask him. They finally turned to face their friend.

"Everything alright?" Elita asked.

"Yeah, just out of sorts, I guess." Bulkhead shrugged, obviously unsure about something.

"Don't tell me you're…jealous." Arcee lightly teased her friend.

"That Miko's making a new friend? Come on!" Bulkhead brushed it off that suggestion before he looked back at the corridor Miko and 'Wheeljack' had walked down. "Something… something is just not right about Wheeljack." He finally voiced his suspicions aloud.

"Bulkhead, really?" Arcee asked in disbelief. "He's travelled galaxies. You haven't seen him for centuries. He could just be rocket lagged or… well, Bots do change, you know?" She reminded him.

"Not Jacky." Bulkhead retorted stubbornly.

_**In Wheeljack's Holding Cell, on the Decepticon Warship,**_

Wheeljack was struggling against his confinements. The Decepticon guarding him heard his grunts of determination and occasional frustration. It annoyed the Vehicon to wit's end. Eventually, he had enough. He walked up to Wheeljack with his blaster unfolded from his arm and held it to Wheeljack's face. "You're not going anywhere, Autobot." The Vehicon sneered before turning back around.

Wheeljack grinned. This was just the opportunity he had been waiting for. He wrapped his legs around the Decepticon's neck. Immediately, the Decepticon struggled against his tight grip and started shooting laser blasts from his blaster.

"Blah, blah, blah…" Wheeljack muttered as he used his legs to guide the Vehicon to his intended target.

Within moments, Wheeljack managed to make the Decepticon shoot the control panel that kept the restraints that were restricting him active. With the control panel destroyed, Wheeljack was able to free himself. He fell to the ground when the sparks died and the cuffs shattered. He landed on top of the Vehicon's head, taking out his guard. With his restraints destroyed, Wheeljack made a run for it, looking for any means of escaping the Decepticon hell.

_**Autobot Base,**_

"So, that's pretty much it." Miko remarked as she wrapped up her tour for 'Wheeljack'. "Energon stockpile, power generator, armory; everything you need to blow the joint sky high."

"Where's this bunker located exactly?" 'Wheeljack' asked curiously, trying to sound wanted to know curiously.

"If I told ya, I'd have to rip out your spark chamber." Miko answered dangerously. She then changed to a happy smile. "Kidding! Just outside Jasper, Nevada! Though I don't expect that to mean much to ya!"

"Can't say it does." 'Wheeljack' lied as he and Miko continued walking down the corridor. "So, any way out of here besides bridging?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

"Why?" Miko asked as she stopped and looked up at him. "You're not planning to leave already, are you?" She looked at him for a while. 'Wheeljack' wasn't sure how to answer this but then Miko smiled at him. "Come on. I'll show ya." She offered before leading him back to the main area.

_**Back in the Main Area of the Base,**_

Ratchet was working at the GroundBridge controls. "Almost there…" Ratchet proclaimed as he continued working.

"Look. I know Wheeljack better than anyone." Bulkhead boasted.

"Bulk, are you sure you're not overreacting?" Elita One asked. "Arcee could be right. Centuries stuck in a tin can alone can do wonders to a Bot's personality." She reminded him.

"Not Jacky. He's survived worse." Bulkhead argued as he shook his head.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" 'Wheeljack' asked as he and Miko returned.

"I was just telling all the guys about you and me…at the Battle of Dark Mount Pass." Bulkhead answered.

"That's a heck of a story." 'Wheeljack' remarked.

"Yup. Tell it!" Bulkhead demanded sternly.

"Talk, talk, talk! How about AFTER we go off-roading?" Miko suggested.

"Miko, stay out of this!" Bulkhead warned, coming off a bit more harshly than he had intended.

"Bulkhead…easy." Arcee reminded him gently.

Mark and Sarah joined the others on the ground. "Bulkhead isn't sure if Wheeljack is the real thing or an imposter." Sarah whispered into Miko's ear, explaining why Bulkhead was acting the way he was. Miko looked surprised by this but kept quiet, for once.

"I'm not sure I-," 'Wheeljack' started as he wasn't sure what was going on.

"Tell it!" Bulkhead repeated but this time it wasn't a request, it was an order.

'Wheeljack' looked at Bulkhead for a moment before he relented. "Fine, if you wanna live in the past, Bulkhead." 'Wheeljack' said. This got the humans attention. "The Wreckers were trapped between a Decepticon patrol and a smelting pit. The Cons were vicious, bearing down on us with everything they had. Me and Bulkhead engaged the enemy, left them for scrap. Then I made us a way out using their backsides as stepping-stones to cross the molten metal." He told the humans before turning to Bulkhead. "Isn't that how it happened?"

"Yeah… That's exactly how it happened…" Bulkhead said with a growl as 'Wheeljack' looked proud of himself. "Except for one little thing…" Bulkhead added suddenly, causing a look of horror to paint itself on Makeshift's face. "I wasn't there!" Bulk declared.

"What?" Ratchet gasped as he stopped working on the GroundBridge.

"Oh scrap. He's right!" Elita realized, as she was also part of Team Prime at the time when Bulkhead joined.

"I'd already left the Wreckers to join up with Optimus." Bulkhead revealed to everyone. "But you would know that if all you did was access Wheeljack's public service record." He said as he poked the impostor's chest, challenging the Decepticon.

Miko was once again a bit slow on the uptake and confused about what was going on. "Bulkhead, what does that have to do with-WHOA!" Miko started to ask but then screamed as the fake Wheeljack reached out to grab her only for Mark to rush forwards and push Miko out of the way, being grabbed himself.

"MARK!" Arcee and Sarah shouted but couldn't do anything for their partner and son respectively.

"Stay back or I'll squeeze him into pulp." Makeshift threatened in his real voice as he held Mark out in front of him in a death-like grip, scaring and angering everyone in the room.

Miko got back up to her feet from being pushed aside by Mark and looked at the scene in shock and confusion. "Wheeljack! What are you doing?" Miko demanded.

"Decepticon coward! Let the boy go and face me!" Bulkhead challenged angrily.

"Don't fret, plenty of fighting to come." Makeshift assured his enemy.

"Is there a REAL Wheeljack?" Jack asked worriedly.

"There is." Elita verified, as she knew Wheeljack. She was already figuring out what was going on here. "The Decepticons must be holding him captive. They sent this imposter in Wheeljack's place so he could learn the location of our base and Starscream can attack us when we least expect it. That was your plan all along, wasn't it, Makeshift?" Elita demanded as she revealed the Decepticon's identity.

"Indeed. And I am sure that Lord Starscream is making sport of him." Makeshift tormented, angering Bulkhead even more.

_**On the Decepticon Warship,**_

Starscream and Soundwave stood on top of the Decepticon Warship with a large number of Eradicons. These Eradicons made up the strike force that was going to storm the Autobot base as soon as Makeshift opened the GroundBridge into their base. Unseen by the Decepticons, Wheeljack was silently climbing up the side of the warship. "Are you certain we are at the coordinates we supplied to Makeshift?" Starscream asked Soundwave, which earned him a nod in response. "Then what is taking him?" He asked angrily.

"Maybe they gave your boy such a hero's welcome he got the warm and fuzzies and decided to switch sides." A familiar voice called.

Starscream was visibly surprised at the sound of the voice. He shouldn't be out here. He should be locked in a cell, but he's out of the cell. Moreover, he's on the roof of the ship, ready to face them. Everyone turned around and saw Wheeljack approaching, mouth guard in place ready to fight them head-on.

Starscream attempted to cover up his shock. "Do you not see you are vastly outnumbered?" Starscream tormented him.

"I see fellas who might vastly enjoy me pound some dents into you." Wheeljack retorted as he rubbed his right hand over his left fist menacingly.

Starscream flinched at that. "Destroy him!" He immediately commanded.

As soon as that command was issued, the Decepticon task force began open fire. Immediately, Wheeljack retaliated with his own attack, using his swords to reflect their shots and make them hit the Decepticons who approached him instead. Well, everyone knows how that song goes: Another one bites the dust!

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

The Autobots were all on guard as Makeshift held Mark hostage. Mark looked down at the joints, checking to see if he could harm Makeshift like he did the Vehicons' back on the Decepticon Warship. Problem was, the armor of the Decepticons and Autobots were for more covering, meaning there were no exposed wires that Mark might be able to tear out.

Makeshift was making sure to keep a tight grip on the only thing keeping the Autobots from tearing him limb from limb, while he waited impatiently for the Autobots' GroundBridge controls. The instant the GroundBridge became operational, Makeshift input the coordinates. "About time." He said impatiently before activating the GroundBridge vortex.

_**At the Decepticon Warship,**_

The real Wheeljack was currently making a stand against the Decepticons. Starscream wasn't liking the fact that Wheeljack had destroyed the majority of his task force. The wannabe Decepticon leader fired a missile from his arm at Wheeljack. The missile landed at Wheeljack's feet. The force of the explosion was enough to knock him back. However, he managed to land on his feet, slicing and dicing any Decepticon who tried to attack him…said Decepticons failed miserably at their attack. Wheeljack jumped into the air and brought both of his fists down on the face of Starscream.

Just as Wheeljack was trying to decide whether to use Starscream as a living shield or just finishing the Con off, he saw a GroundBridge vortex open. It was as if it were waiting for him or, more accurately, the Decepticon Task Force.

"Well, well…" Wheeljack remarked with a smirk as he came up with a plan.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Mark continued to struggle against the grip Makeshift had on him as the disguised Decepticon approached the GroundBridge vortex. Arcee, Sarah, and Bulkhead were having even more trouble keeping their anger in check. The others just prayed that they would be able to find a way to stop their foe for bringing in the Decepticon task force and exposing their secret base.

"Let's get this party started." Makeshift proclaimed as he waited patiently for the army to come inside the Autobot base.

However, the person who jumped out of the portal was someone he certainly wasn't expecting. It was Wheeljack with his swords ready to go! He kicked Makeshift in the back, causing him to fall forwards to the ground. However, this action had sent Mark flying through the air. The other humans watched him fly with horror-stricken faces. They all breathed a sigh of relief when Bulkhead caught Mark in his hand. Makeshift crashed into a nearby wall. He appeared to be unconscious. Again, looks can be deceiving.

When Bulkhead set Mark to her feet, Sarah, who was relieved that her son was safe, immediately hugged him. Happily, he hugged back.

The humans then looked up at the real Wheeljack, who was kneeling down on the ground. Wheeljack stood up and placed his swords back into their sheathes on his back. "I'd shut that hole before the stink comes through." Wheeljack remarked.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Mark added with a smirk.

_**Back with the Decepticons,**_

Starscream coughed as he got up to his knees. He had the familiar blue Energon leaking from his metal mouth. Even though Wheeljack only landed one blow, it did a pretty good number on him. However, Starscream wasn't one to give up, not when he was this close. He had to set an example for the troops if he was truly to become their leader.

He saw that the GroundBridge vortex was still open. "ENTER THE GROUNDBRIDGE NOW!" Starscream bellowed.

Immediately, the remaining Decepticon troops made a run for the tauntingly open GroundBridge vortex, running as fast as they're legs would carry them. However, just as they were at the entrance, the portal closed.

"RAAAGH!" Starscream screamed in frustration.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Makeshift had recovered from his injury and pulled his swords from his disguised body as he and Wheeljack began circling each other. Bulkhead, wanting to make the Con pay for impersonating his friend, moved to assist Wheeljack but was stopped by Wheeljack's sword blocking his path.

"Ugly is mine." Wheeljack proclaimed.

That was when the fight began. The two went for each other. Swords clashed and sparks flew from the clashed swords. Everyone watched the fight in interest, ready to intervene whenever they needed to intervene. Mark watched the fight with Jack, Miko, Raf, and Sarah. Sarah instinctively had her arms wrapped around Raf in a protective motherly fashion and Raf clung to her arms, occasionally letting go to adjust the position of his red, rectangular glasses.

"Which one's the real Wheeljack?" Raf asked nervously.

Miko tried to follow their movements but couldn't keep up. "Uh…I lost track!" Miko confessed.

"I've got it covered." Mark stated, as his eyes were able to keep up with the movements of the large bots.

Makeshift slashed one of Wheeljack's swords and ran at him. Thankfully, army training kicked in for Wheeljack and he managed to claim one of Makeshift's swords, using them both to knock him to the ground and win the fight.

"That's my Jacky!" Bulkhead boasted proudly to the others as only the real Wheeljack could pull off that move.

Wheeljack retracted his face plate and put his swords away. "You, hit the switch!" Wheeljack instructed Ratchet, who nodded in response. "It's time to take out the trash." Wheeljack looked at Bulkhead. "All yours buddy." Bulkhead nodded in understanding.

_**Back at the Decepticon Warship,**_

The GroundBridge appeared before the Decepticons once again. Starscream was appalled when the Vehicons and Eradicons backed up instead of going for it. "What are you waiting for?! GO!" Starscream commanded.

The Decepticon forces nodded and the first few ran through the portal.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

Bulkhead held Makeshift's defeated form in his hands. Everybody watched as Bulkhead swung Makeshift around twice before throwing Makeshift into the GroundBridge portal with all he had.

_**On the Decepticon side of the vortex,**_

The first few Decepticons were coming. However, as soon as they saw Makeshift coming at them, they retreated.

When Starscream saw the first few Decepticons run out of the portal, his first thought was that they were cowards before easily slipping to wondering what was going on. His question was answered when Makeshift came flying out of the portal…and landed directly on top of him.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

"Nice lob." Wheeljack complimented Bulkhead with a smile.

_**At the Decepticon ship,**_

The GroundBridge portal closed, preventing any access to Autobot Outpost Omega One. Starscream was frustrated at yet another lost chance to hit the Autobots in the security of their own base. However, they still remembered one thing.

"Please tell me that you at least learned the location of their base." Starscream begged as he got up to his feet.

Makeshift nodded as he also stood up and swiped the Energon that was leaking from his mouth. "Indeed, Lord Starscream." He answered happily. "It is in a hidden bunker just outside of-."

Makeshift's explanation was cut off by the familiar yet annoying beeping sound. Following the sound, Starscream glanced at the bomb that was attached to Makeshift's hip. Looking closer, he observed that it showed off multiple vibrant colors, clashing against the dull grey design of the hand grenade.

"Whoa! Back! Back! BACK!" Starscream instructed as he ran away from Makeshift as fast as he could in a panic. The other Decepticons immediately also got some distance as well.

Makeshift continued to stand where he stood, wanting to know what they were talking about. However, when he did realize what was going on, it was too late for anyone to do anything. "Oh no." Those were the last words of Makeshift before the bomb exploded, obliterating him and any Decepticon who stood too close.

Starscream and Soundwave were able to escape destruction by transforming into their respective flying vehicle forms and flying off the ship. "MAKESHIFT! YOU FOOL!" Starscream bellowed angrily.

_**A few days later, at the Autobot Base,**_

The party was once again in full swing now that things had calmed down from Makeshift's infiltration of the Autobot Base. Miko was once again playing her guitar while Jack and Raf dance along with Bumblebee. Arcee and Mark were watching them, shaking their heads in amusement. Wheeljack and Bulkhead were returning from having gone off to have a private conversation of their own, which was basically Bulkhead interrogating Wheeljack on things only members of the Wreckers would know. Sarah was assisting Ratchet with some work, while the Autobot Medic groaned in annoyance at the noise.

This time around Optimus decided to stick around for the party, just in case something happened like last time. He currently had his arms wrapped around Elita, who leant into his loving embrace.

"It's like a recurring nightmare." Ratchet moaned in frustration.

"Actually a real nightmare would be having Makeshift turn up again." Sarah countered getting a nod in agreement from Ratchet.

"Now that you're part of Team Prime, we need to pick out a vehicle mode for you. I have some ideas." Bulkhead said cheerfully, as he elbowed Wheeljack knowingly for that last part.

Wheeljack looked a bit uncomfortable. "Uh…about that, Bulk… now that my ship's repaired, I'm itching to know…what else I might find out there." He confessed.

Miko had stopped playing and everyone heard what Wheeljack had just said. "Wait! You're leaving?" Miko exclaimed in disbelief as she and the other young humans ran up to Wheeljack. "Why?"

Wheeljack looked reluctant to answer as he found that he liked these humans, especially Mark. After hearing how the teenager had withstood being tortured by Starscream, Wheeljack saw that Mark would've made one hell of a Wrecker.

Bulkhead looked at his old friend knowingly. "Because some bots never change." He answered for Wheeljack before he laughed.

Optimus nodded in understanding. "Wheeljack, know that you always have a haven here." He informed the departing Wrecker.

Bulkhead wrapped an arm around Wheeljack's should, giving him a brotherly one-armed hug. "Jacky never stays. But he always comes back." Bulkhead boasted proudly. Bulk and Wheeljack gently pounded fists with each other.

_**At the location of the Jackhammer,**_

Ratchet was kind enough to bridge Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Jack, Mark, Miko, and Raf out to Wheeljack's ship so they could say goodbye to their friend. It was an emotional time for everyone, especially Bulkhead and Wheeljack.

"There's room for two, Bulk, even with a backside like yours." Wheeljack offered, joking about the last part. "Who knows what we might find out there? Some of the old crew?"

Bulkhead was really tempted to accept the offer. While he had a great life on Earth with his friends, he would also love to go travelling the numerous galaxies with Wheeljack. To see what they would find together, as brothers, and possible find some of the other surviving Wreckers. However, he took one glance at Miko, who was looking down sadly thinking that Bulkhead would be leaving to go with Wheeljack. His mind was made up. It was an easy, obvious decision.

Bulkhead chuckled. "Sounds like fun, Jackie." He admitted before continuing. "But my ties are here now, with them." He gestured to the other Autobots. "With her." He gestured to Miko who looked up, happy that Bulkhead was staying.

Wheeljack smiled and nodded in understanding before looking at Miko. "Anything happens to my favourite Wrecker, I'm coming after you." Wheeljack playfully threatened Miko.

"I'll take good care of him," Miko promised. She then whipped out her cellphone. "Now say cheese!" She took a picture of Bulkhead and Wheeljack standing together.

"Hey, Wheeljack!" Mark called out before Wheeljack entered the _Jackhammer_. "If you run into any friendlies, be sure to send some of them our way! We could use the extra help."

"You got it, kid." Wheeljack promised with a nod before boarding his ship. The Autobots watched as the _Jackhammer_ took off into the skies.

**To Be Continued…**


	9. Chapter 9: Convoy

_**Reminder**__**: Poll is up for name of OC Autobot. Just so, you know I may or may not use the winning name. Just curious as to which one people like the most.**_

**Transformers Prime**

**Chapter 9: Convoy**

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

"_PRIME!"_ Agent Fowler's voice rang through the Autobot Base. The Autobots and their human friends were all together as it was the weekend. Fowler's call came in just as Optimus and Elita One were joining the others in the main chamber of the base. _"PRIME!"_ Fowler shouted again as Ratchet activated the video communicator.

"Special Agent Fowler, to what do we owe-?" Optimus began asking but was interrupted.

"_What else?"_ Fowler interrupted. _"Cons! __ I chased them off with some hard ordinates! But not before they blew me out of the sky!"_ Fowler explained in frustration.

"Again?" Miko chuckled.

"It sounds like you might be getting a little rusty, Fowler." Mark remarked cheekily.

"_They tried to smash and grab for the Dingus._" Fowler stated, ignoring Mark's comment.

"The whatsit?" Arcee repeated in confusion.

"_Dynamic Nuclear Generation System, aka Dingus."_ Fowler explained before pushing a button on his end to show the Autobots an image of the device. A huge metal box completely strapped down. _ "It's a prototype energy source I'm transporting to the coast for testing."_

Ratchet scoffed. "That's absurd. Why would Starscream bother with such primitive technology?" He asked, as the technology couldn't compare to what the Decepticons already had.

"_I'm guessing to make a big bad primitive weapon of mass destruction. If this baby were to meltdown, it would irradiate this state and the four next door!"_ Fowler revealed.

"Uh…did Agent Fowler say what state he was currently in?" Raf suddenly asked nervously.

Mark frowned. While it would make sense for the Decepticons to turn such a device into a weapon of mass destruction, it still didn't seem to follow what he knew about the Cons.

"_I'm a sitting duck here, Prime."_ Fowler stated, getting back on topic. _"I need you to spin up a bridge and send the Dingus through to its destination before the Cons come back for it!_"

"I'm afraid that sending such a volatile device through a GroundBridge is out of the question." Optimus said before explaining why. "If there were to be an accident during its transmission, the radiation of which you speak could propagate through the GroundBridge vortex… and harm ALL 50 states and beyond." This news horrified the humans.

"_You got any better ideas?"_ Fowler asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.

_**Shortly, at Fowler's crash site,**_

Optimus was in his vehicle mode with his trailer attached. Inside the trailer, the Dingus was strapped down tight. Agent Fowler was strapped into the driver seat and seemed excited about the prospect of driving one of the Autobots. He rubbed his hands together before reaching for the steering wheel.

"Ah!" Optimus said getting Fowler's attention. Fowler looked at the radio, which was where Optimus's voice was coming from. "No need for that, Agent Fowler. I will handle the driving."

Fowler huffed and folded his arms across his chest in disappointment. "It's going to be a long trip." He muttered to himself.

Optimus then started his engine. Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Elita One were also in vehicle mode and started their engines as well. "Autobots, roll out!" Optimus ordered. With that, the Autobots were on their way.

_**A few hours later,**_

It was now noon and the convoy of Autobots was still on the road. At the Autobot Base, Ratchet and the young humans were watching a computer screen that was monitoring the Autobot's progress. "We're locked onto your coordinates, Optimus." Ratchet reported as Miko yawned in boredom. "Barring any complications, you'll reach the drop-off point by sundown."

_**On the road,**_

An old, rusted truck blocked Optimus's path in their lane as was going well below the speed limit. Since they were unable to go around the old truck, Fowler quickly became irritated and slammed his palm on the horn, several times. "Move it, gramps!" He shouted impatiently as he punched Prime's steering wheel before he continued to honk the horn. The slow truck pulled over, allowing them to pass.

Fowler, who was starting to feel a little stressed about the situation, continued to hit the horn in order to get others out of the way but stopped by Optimus. "Agent Fowler, is that really necessary?" He questioned.

"Aww, don't tell me your one of those textbook drivers." Fowler complained as he stopped honking the horn and relaxed a little. He still huffed in annoyance as he crossed his arms.

Unbeknownst to the Autobots, high in the skies was a dark green and lime green helicopter that was tracking them and Dingus. _"Their transporting in an unarmed civilian truck."_ A deep voice said over a radio frequency. _"Send in the ground unit."_ One of the passengers in the helicopter ordered as Elita One and Bumblebee pulled around Optimus.

Elita was now leading the convoy with Bumblebee behind her, followed by Optimus, and Bulkhead bringing up the rear. This was done in order to maximize protection of Optimus and his cargo as Bumblebee could easily turn around at a moment's notice to aide Bulkhead.

"You know, you're saving my bacon here, Prime." Fowler remarked.

"I am proud to be of service." Optimus answered humbly.

"Course, it's not like I'd need your help if you and the Cons had stuck to tearing up your own corner of the galaxy." Fowler grumbled.

"Are you saying that no evil existed on your world before we arrived?" Optimus questioned.

"Uh…well…it was a…different evil." Fowler rephrased before quickly changing the subject. "How about some radio? You seem like a Nashville sounding kind of guy." He offered.

However, before Fowler could turn on the radio, he heard the sound of a helicopter rotor coming from outside and looked in Optimus's side mirror. He saw the helicopter and immediately recognized it. "That's the one! The Con who shot me down!" Fowler said angrily. "Who is he? Wingnut? Dingbat? Skyguy?" He rambled off some random names that the Cons might use.

"_Watch your rearview!"_ Bulkhead warned through the walkie-talkie. Fowler turned back to look at the mirror and saw what was going on.

A group of ten custom muscle cars that were painted mostly light green with dark green highlights was quickly approaching the Autobot convoy. They surrounded Bulkhead on three-sides. _"Fell a little constricted here without the use of my fists here, boss."_ Bulkhead reported.

"_Remain in vehicular mode unless absolutely necessary."_ Optimus ordered over the radio frequency.

The car on Bulkhead's passenger side moved forward and then pulled over so it was directly in front of Bulkhead, while another took its place boxing Bulkhead in.

"A whole team of Cons…" Fowler commented.

_**Back at Autobot Base,**_

"What?" Ratchet asked in confusion as he looked at the monitors, which was showing only the Autobot signals. "I'm not picking up anything. They must be utilizing a cloaking technology."

"Or Fowler was wrong about it being the Cons that are after the Dingus." Mark stated getting everyone's attention.

"_What're you getting at, Mark?"_ Fowler asked in confusion over the communication.

"That you've been aiding the Autobots for so long, you've forgotten that there are human based terrorist organizations that would also be interested in the Dingus." Mark stated.

_**Back with the Convoy,**_

Two of the cars floored ahead in front of Bumblebee and Elita. They tried to pass them but the cars wouldn't allow them. Another car drove up to the driver side of Optimus. The sunroof on the car popped open and a masked human holding a high-tech weapon stood up. "Pull over!" The man ordered as he pointed the weapon at Agent Fowler.

"Well I'll be dipped!" Fowler said in surprise.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

"_It seems your guess was right, Mark. Our assailants are not Decepticons. They are humans."_ Optimus reported through the com-link.

"Human?!" Everyone but Mark asked in surprise.

"Oh, please. Taking on our bots? They're roadkill!" Miko declared excitedly.

Mark walked over to another one of the computers and used it to make a call. "This is Mark Shadow. Please, patch me through to Colonel Lennox." He requested.

_**Above the convoy,**_

A muscular man who appeared to be in his early-to-late 40s watched the scene below from the helicopter. He was their commander. With the snow-white hair, the heart-shaped hairline, prominent cheekbones, the red scars on his emotionless face and brown eyes that were stone cold, not allowing himself to reveal any emotion.

"Gentlemen, stop their engines." The commander instructed.

_**Down on the road,**_

The goon standing in the car prepared to open fire. Before he could, Optimus swerved over and hit the car, causing the vehicle's driver to briefly lose control. When the goon standing fired, the shot hit the ground, causing an explosion.

"Who are these guys?" Fowler wondered aloud as Optimus ahead of the assaulting vehicles.

"_Autobots maintain your cover and apply minimal force, disarmament only."_ Optimus ordered the Autobots.

The same car went to Optimus's right side and aimed at Optimus but Bumblebee blocked them. He slammed on the brakes, knocking the goon off balance but once he regained his balance, the goon took aim again. This time, Bumblebee hit the enemy car even harder, sending it spinning out of control and into a large rock. The car flipped over and both passengers looked at each other with surprise.

Elita rammed the car blocking her path causing it to swerve a little but not enough to get out of the way. She pulled aside and up to its left side. The enemy car attempted to hit her but she slammed on the breaks. The driver couldn't react fast enough to stop and the car went over the side, tumbling down the hill. Luckily, the occupants were unharmed.

_**Up in the Helicopter,**_

The commander frowned at what he had just seen. "Those are not civilian drivers." He commented after witnessing Bumblebee and Elita's driving.

_**Down on the road,**_

The convoy came to a part of the road with many swerving turns to it. The swaying made Agent Fowler nauseous. "I could use some air." He said. Optimus rolled down his window and Fowler stuck his head out, breathing a sigh of relief. His relief vanished when he heard a sound of something clicking. He turned and looked to see another one of those cars pull up near the connecting bolts that connected the trailer to the main truck. He also saw one of the mercenaries climb on and begin cutting at the connecting bolts.

"Prime, bare right!" Fowler instructed.

Trusting Fowler's word, Optimus bared right. The guy almost fell off of the truck, and the car and driver were sent over the edge of the cliff. Thankfully, Optimus didn't have to worry about condoning human casualties because the driver survived. However, the guy that was trying to separate the trailer from the truck didn't fall off. He climbed back on and continued his laser work to separate them.

Fowler undid his seat belt, opened the door, and climbed out. Carefully, he scaled the side of the truck cabin and reached the area. He grabbed the guy by the scruff on the shirt and pulled him out, causing him to drop his weapon. He held the guy out in the air. "You are gonna tell me everything I wanna know-." A tree cut Fowler off as it knocked the man out of his grip. Disappointed, Fowler climbed back into the driver seat.

He had just buckled up when his walkie-talkie picked up a bit of static. _"I do hope you take better care of the Dingus than you do your captives."_ A voice said.

Fowler looked out his window and spotted the helicopter. "Special Agent Fowler here. Identify yourself!" He demanded.

"_I am Silas but, of greater consequence to you, we are MECH."_ The commander, now known as Silas, said.

_**Up in the Helicopter**_

Silas sat in the helicopter, watching the convoy. "Fair warning. We will be helping ourselves to your device, even if it means inflicting causalities." Silas warned.

_**In the Convoy,**_

Fowler frowned at this news. "Is that so?" He asked. "Tell me, Si, what's the market price for a Dingus these days?"

_**Inside the helicopter,**_

Silas grinned. "What makes you think we intend to sell it, Agent Fowler?" He retorted.

_**In the Convoy,**_

Fowler didn't like the sound of that and it showed on his face.

_**Up in the Helicopter,**_

"There's a war brewing, between the new world order and the newest. The victor will be the side armed with the most innovative technology." Silas stated with an evil grin.

_**In the Convoy,**_

Behind Optimus, another one of those fancy-pants MECH cars pulled up over the line dividing the two lanes. One of the occupants poked out through the sunroof and fired three shots at Optimus's trailer with his gun. The three shots landed on one of the bars that kept the trailer door shut and the ramp tucked inside. With a push of a button, electricity cackled from the bullets before exploding. The bars were removed and the roller door opened willingly. The MECH guys were expecting easy access to Dingus. Climb in, grab it, and make a run for it. However, as usual, the Autobots never make it easy for their enemies…

"So, Si, you think MECH has the most radical tech?" Fowler asked in a taunting voice.

As if on cue, Arcee with her hologram, Sadie, flew out of Optimus' trailer in her vehicular mode and landed on top of the MECH car. The guy yelled in surprise and made the jump for his life. Arcee backed off and the MECH car started doing flips on its side, which in turn flipped the car behind it. Arcee and Bulkhead managed to get clear as the car exploded behind them.

_**In the Helicopter,**_

Silas frowned at what he had just seen.

"Definitely not civilian drivers." The helicopter pilot remarked, agreeing with Silas's earlier comment.

_**Back in the Convoy,**_

"Later, Si." Fowler taunted cockily with a smirk before disconnecting the radio link.

"Agent Fowler, do not take your…Silas lightly." Optimus warned, getting a confused look from Fowler. "Megatron preached the very same ideology before plunging Cybertron into the Great War that destroyed our world."

"_Optimus…"_ Ratchet's voice came through the radio communication.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

"_Prepare to initiate phase two. Five miles ahead to the south, you will reach the rendezvous point."_ Ratchet instructed.

While Ratchet was doing this, Jack, Miko, and Raf were being introduced to Colonel Lennox and a pair of his most trusted men. Mark had told Lennox what was going on and Lennox agreed that he and a couple of his men would assist the Autobots. Lennox was surprised to see three other children with the Autobots but couldn't fault Agent Fowler for keeping them from his superiors after what had happened with Mark.

Accompanying Lennox was a bald African America USAF Master Sergeant named Robert Epps, and a British Special Air Service Forces agent called Graham. Both men had fought alongside the Autobots when they first arrived on Earth and could be trusted not to reveal anything they might learn while at the Autobot base that could cause the Autobots trouble.

"So you all learned of the Autobots around the same time, huh?" Epps clarified.

"Yeah, but Mark was the only one captured by the Cons because he revealed himself to Agent Fowler to prevent him from finding out about all of us." Jack stated.

"It was a good call by Fowler to keep you kids out of his reports." Graham said with a nod. "If the Cons are as good as they were three years ago, I doubt you'd have truly been safe in Federal Custody."

Lennox and Epps nodded in agreement. Over three years ago, during their first encounter with the Autobots and Decepticons, the Con known as Soundwave managed to hack into the Government database and learned the location of several civilians that were placed in Federal Custody after they learned about the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. All of those civilians had been killed even through the Autobots had tried to protect them. Since then, Lennox and those at NEST believed it best that the Autobots be in charge of keeping civilians safe, or that the civilians be taken to live at NEST's Headquarters.

_**On the Decepticon Warship,**_

Soundwave, as usual, intercepted the transmission. _"Five miles ahead to the South, you will reach the rendezvous point."_ He played back for Starscream

"So the Autobots are outside the confines of their base and sound otherwise engaged, which means they will never see us coming." Starscream stated with an evil sneer before he turned to some flying troopers. "Find them and scrap them!" He ordered.

"Yes, Lord Starscream." The Eradicons complied.

Starscream grinned and chuckled, now that he was finally being recognized as the Decepticon Leader.

_**Shortly,**_

The Autobot Convoy had reached the drop off point. "There's the destination point." Fowler observed as he saw the passing train.

"Autobots, keep a tight formation." Optimus instructed.

Arcee and Elita did some swerves on the road in front of Optimus (which made it very different for him **not** to think of some _very_ inappropriate things as his optics locked on Elita) and jumped onto the small road right next to the train. Instantly, Optimus, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee followed the femmes and so did the MECH guys. When they were inside the tunnel, they automatically turned on their headlights so they could see where they were driving. Once they were a safe distance away, Bulkhead transformed into his bipedal mode and opened fire at the entrance archway to the tunnel. The MECH cars skidded to a stop in front of the entrance as rocks came crashing down, blocking their path to the Autobots and Dingus. Satisfied with his work, Bulkhead transformed and raced to catch up with the others.

Arcee jumped back into Optimus's trailer and transformed. Bumblebee transformed into his bipedal mode, jumped on top of the moving train, and knocked on the door…

_**Up in the helicopter,**_

"Tactical error, only one way out." Silas said cockily as he smirked to himself.

It wasn't long before the train emerged from the tunnel, along with the Autobot convoy. They continued to drive along the train for a few meters before eventually driving up the small hill and finding themselves back on the road again. Silas's smirk grew bigger. It couldn't be any more perfect then it is…

This is, until he saw the jets fly next to him. The black and purple jets took off at a greater speed, eager to NOT lose their targets so Starscream wouldn't turn them into scrap metal.

_**Down in the Convoy,**_

Fowler heard the jets arrive and looked out of Optimus's window. "Air support? Ours or theirs?" Fowler asked in confusion.

"_Heads up, guys!"_ Mark said through the radio.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

"Optimus, you've got company!" Ratchet warned.

"_Decepticons?"_ Optimus asked.

"Who else?" Ratchet scoffed.

_**In the air over the Convoy,**_

One of the Eradicons fired missiles at the Autobots. Silas watched on, amazed by the action, and assumed all the wrong things behind this attack. He was still ignorant to the truth.

"Military fired on one of their own?" Silas exclaimed in disbelief.

_**Down in the Convoy,**_

The missiles were getting extremely close to hitting Optimus. He had no choice but to detach his trailer. The rockets smashed into the trailer, causing it to explode.

_**In the Helicopter,**_

"Sir the Dingus?!" The pilot shouted as Optimus detached his trailer.

They watched as Optimus's trailer sat idly on the road. They watched the Decepticon missiles approaching it. They watched the Decepticon missiles hit the trailer and destroy it in a column of fire, smoke, and shrapnel. Both the pilot and Silas were shocked…until the pilot noticed something…

"Sir, I'm not reading any radiation. The Dingus didn't meltdown." The pilot observed.

"No. It did not." Silas agreed.

_**On the Ground,**_

Elita, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Optimus managed to lead the Decepticons towards a clearing in a local forest. The Decepticons transformed from their jet forms to their bipedal forms and landed in a line before them. In turn, the Autobots skidded to a stop near the edge of the cliff.

"Agent Fowler, I'm afraid that if you and we are to survive, it has become absolutely necessary for us to drop our cover." Optimus proclaimed.

With those words said, Optimus transformed into his bipedal mode. Somehow, Fowler ended up inside of his hand, and well…let's just say that Fowler's stomach didn't agree with Optimus' sudden transformation. The Special Agent was gasping for air and trying to keep from throwing up. Elita, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee followed suite and they all stood ready to fight the Decepticons. However, they didn't notice that Silas was flying above them in the helicopter and he had witnessed their transformations.

"So the rumors are true." Silas remarked at he looked down at the Autobots and Decepticons. "Living technology stands before us." He then realized that a battle was about to take place. "Though perhaps not for very long." He added.

"Remain here." Optimus instructed Fowler as he set him on a nearby rock.

"Will do." Fowler said with a salute.

Bulkhead stepped forward and stretched his limbs. "After a long road trip, it feels good to get out of the car, stretch my legs, and kick some tailpipe!" He remarked as he unfolded his hammer before leading the Autobots in a charge at the Eradicons.

The two enemy troops charged at each other. When Optimus was close enough to one Decepticon, he knocked him down with one, strong punch. Bulkhead knocked one down with his hammer. Arcee did a few punches and kicks and other moves that showed off her flexibility. Bumblebee danced around the Decepticon in true fighting style, dodging and throwing punches. Elita got up close and personal with one of the Eradicons and drove her knee right into its face.

_**Up in the helicopter,**_

Silas was busy observing the fight, almost all thoughts of the Dingus gone from his mind. "Sir, if the Dingus wasn't in the truck…" The pilot trailed off, getting Silas's attention.

"Yes. That." Silas agreed as that was what they were really after. He reached for his radio. "Special Agent Fowler…"

_**Down on the Ground, at Fowler's location,**_

"…_you lead a charmed life walking among titans._" Silas commented over the radio.

Fowler held the radio up to his ear and looked up at the helicopter, circling the battle. "Come on down. I'll introduce you." He offered.

_**Up in the Helicopter,**_

"In good time." Silas promised as he looked at one of the tracking systems in the helicopter, which showed a train track and a light on it. "But right now, I'm too busy wondering how the DINGUS might have vanished into thin air, without a trace."

_**Back on the Ground,**_

Fowler remained silent as he knew exactly what had happened to the Dingus and his mind was going back to the recent memory.

_**Flashback,**_

The Autobots were inside the tunnel driving next to the train aka their designated rendezvous point. They were going to pull off a scheme that would keep Silas, Decepticon and any other enemies from getting their hands on DINGUS. Bumblebee transformed and ran with the train for a few meters before jumping on top of one of the cargo carriages and knocking on the side door.

A military soldier opened the door and Bumblebee waved at him innocently. The soldier nodded in return as he was one of those who knew about the Autobots.

The walls of Optimus's trailer slide open around Arcee and Dingus at Optimus's command. With ease, Arcee lifted DINGUS into her arms before passing it off to Bulkhead who was lying on top of the train along with Bumblebee. Singlehandedly, Bulkhead passed it on to Bumblebee who placed it inside the train carriage with the military personnel inside.

_**End flashback,**_

"_Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a train to catch._" Silas told Fowler over the radio, bringing Fowler back to reality.

That was when Fowler realized that Silas had figured out that the Dingus was on the train. He watched in vein as the helicopter flew away from the battle scene, heading to en route with that train. Immediately, Fowler lifted up the radio and informed Prime of the situation.

"Prime! Silas got wise to phase two!" Fowler informed him.

"I understand!" Optimus responded, turning slightly towards Fowler.

Taking his chance, the Decepticon Optimus was fighting when he answered Fowler's radio call whacked Optimus in the face with a tree trunk he had ripped out nearby. Optimus felt as if the wind was knocked out of him, as the humans would say. He fell over the edge of the cliff. For a few feet, he tumbled down the cliff face before landing on a significantly sized ledge face first. He struggled to get up and rejoin the ongoing fight. However, he didn't have the strength to get back up and his arms collapsed underneath him. Optimus passed out.

"Prime! Do you read me? Prime!" Fowler yelled into the radio.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

The others had heard Fowler's shouts and there being no response meant only one thing. "Optimus is down!" Miko cried, voicing what everyone already figured.

"And MECH's gonna grab the Dingus!" Jack stated.

"We need to think of something quick!" Mark said sternly as he began trying to think of something.

"You mean like a phase three?" Raf guessed.

"If MECH wants the Dingus, they'll have to get on that train." Lennox said, as they knew what MECH was truly after.

"What if we get on first?" Miko suggested excitedly as she wanted to get in on the action. "You know, run some human-on-human interference?" She pumped her fists in front of her to indicate fighting.

"Good idea but you kids are staying here." Epps stated.

"We'll handle this." Graham said as he also agreed that putting the children in danger was out of the question.

"We ready to go Ratchet?" Lennox asked.

"Absolutely not!" Ratchet immediately objected.

"Yeah, would you're thinking would be suicide." Jack immediately agreed with Ratchet.

Miko rolled her eyes. "Hello! The United States of Meltdown! Lives are at stake!" Miko reminded them.

"Yes. All of yours!" Ratchet stated, getting confused looks from all of the humans. "You want me to not only bridge you into a confined space, but one travelling at 90 miles per hour? I can't even count the number of ways that could go wrong!" He started listing off some of the possibilities. "Mass displacement trauma! Twisted limbs! Metal burn!" Everyone gave Ratchet a look at that last one.

"I don't think we have to worry about that last one, doc." Epps said.

"Well, you may be right about that." Ratchet admitted before getting back on topic. "Regardless, it is nearly impossible to fix GroundBridge coordinates on something moving at that speed!"

"Would it help if we had access to the train's coordinates?" Raf asked as he typed commands into his laptop and the coordinates for the train that contained the DINGUS appeared on the screen.

"Well…" Ratchet pondered, as he was reluctant to do this but knew it was the only option right now.

_**At the train delivering the Dingus,**_

On board the train, the soldier inside the cargo carriage of the train stood guard of the Dingus. He was completely unaware of the danger that was coming his way.

The MECH helicopter had caught up with the train. Silas and his mercenaries were now ready to seize their prize.

"Immobilize them." Silas instructed.

One of the agents fired an immobilizing bullet at the train. Leaving a trail of smoke behind it, the bullet flew towards the train. It landed on the front part of the train. The central structure settled into the main structure and sent electrical shocks all through the train. The guard inside couldn't even see what was coming at him. He screamed in surprise from the shock he had received before falling to the ground. The voltage wasn't very high so he was just unconscious, not dead.

Not long after those electrical shocks had passed through the train, a GroundBridge opened in the same carriage as the Dingus. Lennox, Epps, Graham, Jack, Miko, and Mark literally flew through the portal and landed on their butts. "Not exactly our best entrance." Epps commented as he and the other two soldiers stood up. Although they had been against Jack, Miko, and Mark accompanying them, the soldiers didn't have time to argue with them.

Jack had his cell phone activated so he could maintain contact with Ratchet and Raf back at the base. As the three teens stood up and rubbed their sore butts, the portal closed behind them.

"We're in." Jack spoke into the phone.

"_I read you, Jack. The cell phone com-link patch works!"_ Raf replied from the Autobot base.

Epps and Graham pulled open the carriage door so they could get a fix on the enemy's position. The group saw Silas's helicopter preparing to land on top of the train.

"Raf, MECH's landing on top of the train." Lennox reported through his earpiece, which was also linked to the Autobot base.

"Please tell me your genius mind has some kind of a way to stop them." Mark requested.

_**At the Autobot Base,**_

Raf was working frantically on his laptop. "In about 20 seconds, you're gonna come up to a fork. Brace yourselves." He warned them as he typed in various commands.

_**Inside the MECH helicopter,**_

The helicopter was hovering even lower, slowing coming even closer to the top of the train as they approached the fork Raf had mentioned earlier. After finishing typing in his commands, Raf managed to change the tracks. Instead of going along its original route, the train went in another direction. It successfully kept the helicopter off the train car and caused the pilot briefly lose control. However, instead of crashing into the nearby cliff face, the pilot managed to regain control of the helicopter.

"What happened?" Silas immediately asked the pilot. He was seriously starting to get annoyed with these setbacks.

"Hacker." The pilot answered before pressing a button on the controls. "Former hacker." He corrected himself as he circled back around to chase after the train once again.

_**Back at the Autobot Base,**_

The train monitor that was occupying the big screen and Raf's laptop was suddenly replaced with a moving picture of cross bones and a bomb with a lit fuse. "What?" Raf asked but before he could even wonder what was going on, the internal bomb went off and fried his laptop, causing it to literally smoke. "Whoa!" He cried out, as he had to shield his face from some of the sparks that jumped out.

"And what have I been saying all along about earth technology?" Ratchet boasted as he shook his head.

_**Inside the train car,**_

The group saw that the helicopter had already caught up to them and was once again attempting to land on top of the train car.

"So what would that buy us?" Jack asked nervously.

"I'd say ten seconds at the most?" Epps answered with a shrug.

"Raf is losing his touch." Miko remarked.

"More like MECH has a more experienced hacker and better equipment." Mark countered.

"I'd have to agree with Mark on that one." Graham stated.

They all heard helicopter landed on the roof of the train car and as at least three people exited the copter, walking on the roof. Soon they all saw a cackling, sparking laser cutting a hole in the roof to give MECH access to the inside of the carriage as well as the objects and people currently occupying it.

_**At the fight,**_

Elita, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee were having trouble holding them back with Optimus still down for the count. The Autobots managed to stand their ground and Decepticons continued to fall. However, Elita wasn't fighting the enemy with a completely clear mind. When she took down the one who had hit Optimus with the tree, she sneered at him. "That was for hurting my sparkmate." She stated.

Slowly, Optimus began regaining consciousness. He moaned as he struggled to haul himself up. However, when he eventually regained full consciousness, he saw the train they had hid the Dingus on disappear around the bend…with MECH's helicopter on top of it.

_**Inside the train car,**_

The teenagers and soldiers realized that they were out of time as the hole was near completion. The soldiers cocked and locked their guns, pointing them at the hole. Mark picked up the gun of the downed soldier and expertly cocked the weapon like a trained soldier, getting astonished looks from everyone else.

"What?" Mark asked incredulously. "You think Fowler's only been taking me to his military base on occasion to help with his paperwork?"

The others realized that they needed means of self-defense, and fast. Jack and Miko grabbed the nearest objects they could find. For Miko, it was an axe. For Jack…well, it was a fire extinguisher, so he'd have to make do with that. In nothing else, he could blind the enemy. They looked up, searching for any MECH men with their weapons/powers ready to go. They saw three men approach the hole they had just made. This was good as they outnumbered the MECH agents two-to-one.

"You want a slice of this? Well, do ya?" Miko challenged as she swung the axe threateningly.

"What she said!" Jack exclaimed as he pointed the fire extinguisher at them.

"Ditto for the rest of us." Epps said with a grin as he and the soldiers pointed their guns at the enemy.

"I suggest you boys think very carefully on what you decide." Lennox advised the MECH agents. "Because, either way, you're fragged. If you come in here and steal the Dingus, you'll be fragged because we'll kick your asses. But if you go back to that helicopter WITHOUT the Dingus, well…we're gonna be the least of your worries." He remarked.

_**Onboard the helicopter,**_

The pilot and Silas watched their three men. Suddenly, the pilot noticed something familiar…

"Sir!" The pilot cried.

Silas looked out the window and saw Optimus running along with them on a cliff ledge. Eventually, he transformed from his bipedal mode to his vehicle mode and took off at a high speed, hoping to gain more ground and make it in time to stop MECH from getting their fleshy hands on the Dingus.

"Retreat." Silas immediately instructed. He knew that his men were no match for the large robot and he couldn't risk them at this point and time.

_**Back inside the train car,**_

To the surprise of the NEST soldiers and teenagers, the three men retreated at Silas's command. Through the hole, they were able to see the helicopter take off and fly away. They all exchanged identical confused expressions painted onto their face. They had no idea what was going on. However, all of them had a gut feeling that MECH suddenly retreating for no apparent reason meant bad news on their part. With that in mind, Lennox and Graham gave Epps lift so that he could climb up out of the hole MECH had made to the roof of the train car. Graham received a boost from Lennox and was pulled up the rest of the way by Epps. Both soldiers took up defensive positions on the roof of the train car, surrounding the hole.

Jack and Miko stuck their heads out. Jack stuck his out first, holding onto the cargo carriage door. Then finally, Miko stuck her head out. Her arms wrapped themselves around Jack's arm.

"Whoa. We're pretty fierce." Miko complimented.

"I don't think they were running from us." Mark commented getting an agreement from Lennox.

_**Up in the helicopter,**_

"First rule of combat: never leave the enemy with the spoils." Silas remarked as he pulled out a rocket launcher and loaded his weapon.

He stuck his head and torso out of the helicopter and aimed his gun at the train tracks in the distance. He fired a single missile at the train tracks.

_**On the train,**_

Jack and Miko watched helplessly as the missile whizzed past them and the train in general. Mark and the soldiers didn't hesitate at they opened fire at the missile, hoping to take it out before the missile could reach its target, but their shots missed. Then the missile made contact with the tracks. That area of the tracks was destroyed in a large column of smoke, rock, dirt, and metal debris. Immediately, the group knew there would potentially be trouble.

"Whoa!" Jack gasped.

"Shit!" Mark and Epps shouted at the same time.

"He's blown the tracks!" Lennox exclaimed.

"What do we do now?" Miko screamed in horror.

"Ratchet, MECH has blown the train tracks. You need to bridge us out of here!" Jack spoke into the phone desperately.

"Don't forget the other soldiers!" Graham said as he and Epps jumped back into the train car from the hole in the roof.

_**Autobot Base,**_

Raf was examining his smoking computer, trying to understand what had happened. "We've lost access to the train data!" Ratchet revealed. "I can't bridge you back without coordinates!" He told them gravely before radioing the nearby Autobot commander for help.

_**On the road, alongside the train,**_

"_Optimus! Jack, Miko, and Mark are on that train and MECH has blown the train tracks!"_ Ratcht informed Optimus.

"I'm on my way!" Optimus immediately responded. "Maximum overdrive!" With those words said, Optimus activated his boosters, taking off at speeds that were impossible for a regular truck.

_**On the train, inside the car with the Dingus,**_

"Maybe we should jump?" Miko suggested.

"At 90 miles an hour?" Jack exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's the impact or the meltdown. Take your pick." Miko retorted.

"Basically, either way, if we don't get help, we're toast." Mark remarked.

"What were we thinking volunteering for this?" Jack moaned.

"Next time, you and Mark need to do a better job of talking us out of these situations." Miko defended.

"Don't drag me into this." Mark said.

"Next time…" Jack sighed.

"You think we'd have a few more seconds if we're at the back of the train, right?" Miko asked nervously.

"Well, at least we're in this together." Jack shrugged.

Miko leaned towards Jack, only to quickly snatch Jack's phone from his hand. "Raf, this is important!" She cried out. "Make sure Bulkhead gets my guitar!"

Epps looked at Miko in disbelief. "We're about to die and you're worried about that oversized robot getting your guitar?" He questioned.

Mark stuck his head outside the train car and spotted something that made him smile. "Don't read the wills just yet!" Mark called to the others.

The others looked out the carriage and saw the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime, racing alongside the train. He was fast approaching their train car. In a matter of seconds, he sped by them, heading for the front of the train.

"Go Optimus!" Jack cheered happily.

"Leave to the Boss Bot to show up at the last minute." Lennox joked, getting a chuckle out of Graham and Epps.

_**Back at the fight,**_

The last of the Eradicons fell backwards after being shot several times by the Autobots. Elita, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee had just finished taking care of their little enemies, turning them to scrap metal. Once they were done, a worried Elita looked around and noticed that her sparkmate had gone missing. And she honestly didn't have a clue where he was.

"Where's Optimus?" Elita asked.

"He had a train to catch." Fowler answered seriously from on top the rock Optimus had placed him on, as he turned back to watching what was happening from a distance.

_**Back with the Train,**_

When he was close enough to the front of the train, Optimus transformed into his bipedal form and ran the rest of the way. When he was directly next to the front cart, he grabbed it and leant back, using his weight to slow the train down. He groaned in determination and pain as the underside of his foot burned from the friction with the metal and the ground next to the tracks. But he still didn't stop. One of his policies was that he could not condone human casualties, especially when those humans were his friends and allies. Therefore, he could not, and would not, stop, even if he wanted to.

The destroyed section came even closer and the train was still not stopping. The train had jerked when Optimus began trying to stop it. Jack, Mark, and Miko nearly fell out of the train car but they caught by one of the NEST soldiers. Lennox caught Jack's arm, Epps grabbed the back of Mark's zipped up jacket, and Graham wrapped in arm around Miko's stomach.

When Optimus finally stopped the train, they all fell flat on their backs. They slowly untangled themselves and stood up, just as Optimus came to their train car.

"You guys OK?" Optimus asked nervously.

"We're good." Mark nodded.

"Yeah. We're fine." Jack added.

"Totally," Miko agreed eagerly.

The soldiers nodded silently up at Optimus.

Suddenly, Optimus heard the sound of an engine. He looked up and saw Silas in his helicopter hovering over the action.

_**Inside the MECH Helicopter,**_

"Well-played, visitor." Silas complimented. "But MECH still has the home field advantage and we will find a way to level that playing field. Even if we have to open you up to see what makes you tick." Silas swore as he looked at a scan he took of Optimus and the helicopter flew away with their newly gained information.

_**On the ground,**_

Optimus watched at the MECH helicopter took off away from the area. He was sorely tempted to shot the helicopter down. _"Optimus, are you and the humans…intact?_" Ratchet asked through the com-link.

"Intact, Ratchet." Optimus answered as Miko slugged Jack in the arm before all three human teens shared a three-way high-five. "Crisis adverted. But the world we live in is a different one then previously imagined, one that has spawned its own Decepticons, in human skin." Optimus proclaimed.

"PRIME!" A familiar voice called out.

Optimus turned around at the sound of that voice. He turned and saw Elita, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Fowler approaching them. Obviously, they followed the skid marks Optimus' feet had left when he was stopping the train from crashing. When they were close enough, Elita jumped up and hugged him. It was an embrace Optimus didn't hesitate to return. Although he rarely showed it, he relished the feeling of her body pressed up against his. He enjoyed her company. He enjoyed being able to hold her tightly against him. He enjoyed doing anything with her. After being apart from her for so long and trying to keep his emotions in check, this felt so right.

"Are you guys OK?" Elita asked worriedly.

"We're fine." Optimus reassured his worried sparkmate as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Wait. What are we going to do about the Dingus?" Arcee asked suddenly as she remembered the real reason they were even on this mission.

"We can take care of that." Lennox stated as Epps was on the radio with NEST Headquarters.

"You guys go on home." Fowler told the Autobots. "I'll catch a ride with NEST."

"And we'll be sure to start investigating this MECH organization as soon as we get back to base." Graham assured the Autobots and teenagers. Everyone knew and had to agree that the war between the Autobots and Decepticons had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.

**To Be Continued…**


	10. Chapter 10: Deus ex Machina

**Transformers Prime**

**Chapter 10: Deus ex Machina**

_**At Memorial High,**_

The school day was finished, and yet students remained behind. There were multiple reasons: extracurricular activities, school performances and there is that one reason nobody likes: detention! Normally, in detention, students would be doing the homework they were assigned ahead of schedule or working on assignments that were due in a couple of week or they would just sit there bored out of their minds.

Like Miko. She had her World History textbook in front of her, eager to fill her mind with everything it contains about Ancient Greece. However, Miko couldn't bring herself to read it. She hated World History. She hated the stupid history report she had to do on Ancient Greece, and, even more, she hated detention. There was nothing to do except sit there and pray that the time flies by quickly so she can finally be rid of the dull, boring classrooms for another day.

"Pfft, detention, argh…" Miko grumbled as she set down the history book she was reading. She had detention, as she hadn't done a history report for her history class. She rested her head on top of her folded arms that rested idly on the desk in front of her.

Over a week has passed since the Autobots' mission to protect the Dingus from the mysterious new enemy called MECH. Miko loved the excitement she had felt during that mission and the adrenaline that went along with it. Unfortunately, it has been quite at the Autobot Base recently with no new missions for her to take part in.

As she looked out the window, Miko saw a car park itself in front of the school grounds. Even if she wasn't looking out the window, she would have been able to hear the car coming. The engine was loud and so was the music blaring from the stereos inside. Not to mention, it was blaring her favorite song. So she recognized the car.

It was Bulkhead.

Miko smiled at the sight of her friend. It was obvious that she and Bulkhead had grown close over the past few weeks. In fact, over the past few weeks, she has made several new friends. She was friends with the people she never thought she would be friends with.

She never thought that she would be hanging out with the likes of Jack, Mark, and Raf. She thought they would just pass each other in the hallways without bothering to say their hellos and they would eventually forget each other after they graduated high school and went off to college. However, ever since they were in on the secret of the Autobots, the four have formed close bonds with one another.

They weren't inseparable only within the base. They were also inseparable in and out of school. There were some occasions that when they weren't at the Autobot base, instead of heading to their respective homes, they would all go over to someone's house or to the park or mall. Honestly, they didn't care whether they were just chilling at someone's house, going to the movies, walking through the park or grabbing some burgers at KO Burgers during Jack's lunch breaks or when Jack finished his changing shifts. All that matters to them was that they were together.

Therefore, when Miko looked up at her teacher and saw that she was just sitting behind her desk reading some boring column in the local newspaper, she took her chance. She quickly and quietly packed up her belongings and quietly snuck out of the classroom into the hallways. When she was halfway down the hallways, she ran to the main entrance before finally running off school grounds entirely.

When she reached Bulkhead, he was singing along to the track he was currently playing. Normally, people would criticize Bulkhead's singing abilities, saying he couldn't carry a tune. However, when it comes to heavy metal, and you don't have to be able to carry a tune. As Miko once said, you just have to, 'Cover yourself in fake blood and jump around screaming'.

"I love this song!" Miko cheered as she jumped into the car and started singing along, which broke Bulkhead from his earlier enjoyment.

"Miko, I thought you had a history report to do?" Bulkhead asked in confusion. "Did detention end early?" He questioned, even though he already knew the answer.

"It did for me." Miko answered breezily as she buckled her seat belt and leaned back. She glanced in the side view mirror. "Uh-oh. Here comes teacher… and she doesn't look happy." She said nervously as she sank down in the seat. "Step on it, Bulkhead!" Miko pleaded, as she knew she was in trouble.

"Aw, Miko…" Bulkhead sighed in frustration.

Although Bulkhead wasn't happy about the fact that Miko was skipping detention, he still didn't want her to be at the receiving end of an angry teacher yelling her brains out. He understood that NO ONE – student, parent, fellow staff member, and even total, complete strangers alike – wants to be at the receiving end of an angry teacher as he or she yelled their brains out. Therefore, he changed gears from Park to Drive and pulled out from the curb in front of Memorial High School.

Fast.

_**Shortly, on the road to the Autobot Base,**_

As he drove, Bulkhead wasn't happy that Miko had ditched afternoon detention and not bothered to work on her history report… or the fact that she didn't understand the importance of her education. Therefore, Bulkhead decided to make sure that Miko knew his thoughts.

"Miko, I'm supposed to be your guardian, not your getaway car." Bulkhead stated. "You can't just cut detention. What if your parents found out?" He asked her.

"They live in Tokyo, remember?" Miko reminded Bulkhead with a cocky grin. "And don't even worry about my host parents. I think I scare them." That last part brought a grin to Miko's face as she carelessly leaned back against the seat, causing Bulkhead to sigh.

"Miko, listen. If you fail high school, you can't go to-uh…uni…kesa…colls…w-wait, what's that word again?" Bulkhead stumbled as he arrived at the base.

"Uh…college?" Miko offered as Bulkhead came to a stop inside the base's main area. Miko jumped out of the car. "Ugh! You sound just like my parents!" She complained as she turned towards Bulkhead.

Bulkhead transformed into his bipedal mode and looked down at her in confusion. "Aren't they Japanese?" He asked, voicing his confusion.

"They may speak a different language but you say the same things!" Miko retorted as she started to walk away.

"Because we want the best for you!" Bulkhead countered passionately. "And that means making sure you go to school! Not jail!"

"Uh-oh, what did you do?" Jack asked with a teasing tone laced into his voice. He and Mark were standing up on the raised platform looking down at Miko.

"I might have ditched detention." Miko confessed to her close friend sheepishly.

Jack threw his head back with a groan of frustration and Miko was expecting to get a lecture from him as well, considering he was older than she was by almost a year.

However, what she got was a surprise. "You couldn't have lied to me? You just cost me 20 bucks!" Jack exclaimed.

Jack dug his black leather wallet from his pocket and retracted a $20 note from the fold. He passed the note to Mark, grumbling about how he was going to end up broke if he continually makes bets with his best friend.

"Never make a bet with me, Jack my man." Mark said with a smirk as he pulled out his own wallet and put the twenty bucks in it. Mark then turned to Miko. "As for you Miko, just be glad my mom isn't here as she does have a number to your parents." He scolded her.

Miko gulped as she had forgotten that Sarah Shadow was multilingual and had contacted her parents, if for no other reason than to get to know them. They were nice enough folks and thanked Sarah for looking out for Miko as they knew how uncontrollable she could be at times. Sarah had promised to try her best at keeping Miko under control and would let them know if anything really bad happened.

Bulkhead knelt down so that he could try to convey his message to Miko. "Look, Miko, before I became a warrior, I was a laborer: construction!" Bulkhead revealed. "I can build stuff. I can break stuff. And that's it!" Bulkhead recalled his past, hoping Miko would grasp his point.

"I love breaking stuff!" Miko proclaimed happily, as she pounded her left fist into the palm of her right hand. "I wanna be just like you, Bulk!"

"Oh…" Bulkhead groaned as Miko was missing the point. An alert was sounding from the computer in the background. "Why would you wanna be like me when you can be a…a medic like Ratchet and Mrs. Shadow?" He retorted as he gestured to Ratchet.

The Autobot medic was working at the computer terminal that had just set off the alert and was looking for the data from the program he had just run. "I'm detecting a fresh Energon pulse from the nation called Greece." Ratchet announced suddenly. "An ancient city, quite historic, I believe."

"Ancient Greece, huh?" Bulkhead asked as he got an idea that just might work. "Oh, field trip!" He sang excitedly.

_**On the Decepticon Warship,**_

The Decepticon Warship was currently flying through a storm. Starscream stood at the helm of the bridge as a newcomer arrived to the ship. "It's about time, Knockout." Starscream growled in annoyance as he looked out the front of the ship as lightning flashed in the storm clouds. "I do not enjoy being kept waiting."

The one being addressed was a mech with flashy red and white armor, instead of the usual blacks, greys, or purples. He walked into the bridge casually. "Ah, it was a long drive, Starscream." Knockout defended as he ran a finger over his armor. He pulled a tiny something out. "I'm still picking bugs out of my grill." He flicked the dead insect out of his finger.

Starscream turned around and gave the Decepticon a disapproving look. "Yes… right… you're one of _those_." He muttered in annoyance.

"Come again?" Knockout asked in confusion, as he didn't understand the comment.

Starscream walked up to Knockout. "Never understood why any self-respecting Decepticon would choose automobile as his vehicle mode… when he could have flight." He explained as he walked around Knockout to look over the Decepticon doctor.

"I like the way I look in steel belted radians." Knockout replied vainly.

Starscream merely shook his head in annoyance before he led Knockout to where the doctor was needed.

"I take it Lord Megatron requires a laboratory assist?" Knockout asked, as Starscream led him to the ship's medical bay/laboratory. He didn't know about Megatron's current condition.

Starscream stopped in front of the lab entrance. "You…might say that." He answered mysteriously as he opened the door into sickbay.

Knockout was certainly surprised at the sight that was greeting him. Lying on the metal berth was, in fact, Lord Megatron. There was a significantly large hole in his chest as a result from the Spacebridge explosion. What humans would deem as large cables linked Megatron to his life-support, his only means of living.

"Whoa…" Knockout remarked as he looked at Megatron's damaged body.

_**Middle of the night, in Greece,**_

The Autobot GroundBridge vortex opened and Bulkhead exited in vehicle mode. "We're here." He said as he opened his door and allowed Miko to exit.

"Sweet!" Miko cheered as she got out. She was excited about actually being on a mission. She saw the ruins, thanks to various lights being powered by generators on sight providing light, and grinned. "So what're we doing in Wreck-o Ville?" She asked Bulkhead as the Autobot transformed into his bipedal mode and pulled out an Energon scanner from his chest compartment.

"_I'm_ scouting for Energon." Bulkhead answered. "_You're_ doing research on your history report."

"You punked me, Bulk?" Miko pouted in annoyance. "Not cool."

Bulkhead walked forward as his scanner was beeping loud and fast. "Hmm… signal's strong." He said as he scanned the area. There were construction vehicles. "An excavation site." He observed as he looked around.

"Whoa." Miko breathed in amazement.

"I know construction." Bulkhead said with a shrug. "According to my scanner, humans hit Energon veins. And they don't even know it."

Bulkhead observed the area even more. His earlier statement was correct. This place was definitely an excavation sight. Bulldozers, wheelbarrows and other construction machines surrounded the abandoned sight. That was when Bulkhead laid eyes on the ancient paintings. However, something about the painting that interested him. What interested him was the glowing gold globe sitting in the hands of one of the Greek Gods. Bulkhead immediately knew what it was.

"Whoa." Bulkhead gasped in surprise. "That's Cybertronian!"

_Back in the Med Lab of the Decepticon Warship,_

Starscream explained to Knockout about Megatron's conditions. "Sadly our inevitably, former Lord Megatron has been like this for some time." He stated as Knockout walked over to get a closer look at Megatron's damaged body. "But the crew took a vote," Starscream grumbled as he didn't like the outcome of the vote, "and it was decided that an expert might put him on the road of recovery."

"I've done plenty of body work, Starscream, but I'm better at breaking 'em than fixing 'em." Knockout confessed as he unfolded his drill from his arm to prove his point before folding the drill back into his arm. He sighed. "It would help if I had my assistant."

"I summoned the both of you. Where is he?" Starscream asked as he was curious as to why the other Decepticon wasn't present.

"We were hot on a fresh Energon trail when you called." Knockout explained. "Breakdown will show once he's through scouting it." He grinned.

_Back in the Ruins of Ancient Greece,_

"Why would Ancient Greeks paint an Energon Harvester?" Bulkhead wondered aloud.

"You know what that round thing actually is?" Miko exclaimed in surprise before she pulled out her phone and flipped it open. "You're smarter than you let on." She took the picture of the painting.

"But even dumber than he looks." A voice stated from behind them. Bulkhead and Miko immediately turned around. Approaching them was a Cybertronian. However, very much like Knockout, he stood out amongst the regular Decepticon warriors. He was the same size as Bulkhead. His eyes were yellow instead of the usual red. The main colors in his body are grey and blue with the occasional orange on his face and the blinker lights on his hips. He goes by the name of…

"Breakdown…" Bulkhead identified with a growl.

The identified Breakdown smirked and chuckled. "Ha, ha, ha. Miss me?" He asked rhetorically.

"Like the rust in my undercarriage." Bulkhead retorted.

"You know this lunkhead?" Miko questioned in disbelief.

"We have a history." Bulkhead replied vaguely.

"And you have a pet." Breakdown sneered before he grabbed a pillar next to him. "Does it play catch?" He asked mischievously as ripped the pillar out of the ground and lifted it over his head. Bulkhead immediately caught on to what Breakdown was going to do. "Catch!" He shouted before throwing the pillar right at Miko.

Miko went to run away from the oncoming pillar. She knew what would happen if she was hit. However, she didn't have to worry about running away as Bulkhead knelt down directly in front of the oncoming danger and took the hit himself.

"Miko! Stay down!" Bulkhead warned her.

Miko immediately ran for cover. In the smoke from the pillar impact, Bulkhead didn't see Breakdown coming at him. Therefore, when he turned around, he was caught off guard when Breakdown's body slammed into him and knocked him into the excavation sight. Mid-air, Breakdown gained the advantage and, before his feet even touched the ground, threw Bulkhead into the nearby wall. The ancient stone section grumbled under his weight, destroying the picture.

"Oops. Hope the pretty picture wasn't too important." Breakdown tormented, not the least bit sorry that he had caused the destruction of the ancient picture.

Eventually, he transformed into his vehicular mode and drove away. Miko retreated from her hiding place just in time to see him retreating.

"Told you I'm good at breaking things." Bulkhead remarked as he sat up and saw the destroyed wall.

"I've always got your back, Bulk." Miko assured him as she held up her phone. She looked at the screen and pushed a few button. "Got us a picture of the picture." She proclaimed as she showed the image to Bulkhead.

_Shortly, at the Autobot Base,_

Miko uploaded the photo she took of the picture into the Autobot's computer for the others to look at. "It is indeed an Energon Harvester." Optimus announced gravely as he pointed to the orb in the picture. "A powerful tool created by the Ancients, to remove raw Energon from and source."

"Greek Gods knew Autobots?" Raf asked in confusion.

"That's not what the picture means, Raf. The Ancients would often use the art of a given era to conceal messages." Elita explained. "They used this fresco as a signpost to a Harvester hidden somewhere on your planet."

Jack and Mark both immediately thought of something. "Um, Optimus, if the Harvester removes Energon from anything…" Jack started.

"And you all have Energon pumping inside you…" Mark continued as he was thinking the same thing as Jack.

"In Decepticon hands the Harvester would be a devastating weapon." Optimus said in agreement.

"See? You were a genius to destroy that painting!" Miko reassured a still doubtful Bulkhead.

"Miko's not wrong." Arcee said in agreement. "How can the Cons find it without the fresco?"

"I hate to destroy the mood here, but there is a way." Mark declared from the raised platform, getting the attention of the Autobots. "I doubt that the Autobots are the only side in this Energon race that uses high-speed internet as a means of obtaining any information that would lead to a potential Energon source. Raf, do you wanna explain this one?" He asked the youngest human of the group.

"Don't mind if I do." Raf said eagerly, as he typed into his computer. "If you do an image search for 'Greek God' and 'Golden Orb', this pops up. It's in a museum." As he explained, Raf did the image search to prove his point. When he was done, he showed everyone an image he found on his laptop. It was of an exhibit in a museum somewhere in America. The picture displayed a white stone stature of a Greek God who can be identified as Poseidon with his trident holding a golden orb in his hand. Everyone realized that it was indeed an Energon harvester.

"That the real deal?" Arcee asked nervously.

Optimus didn't answer her directly. He just continued staring at the picture. Deep down, he knew it was. And he knew that it couldn't fall into Decepticon hands.

"Contact Agent Fowler." Optimus requested.

Ratchet did so, but an answering machine was all he contacted. _"You've reached Special Agent William Fowler. I'm currently on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday."_ The recording stated.

"I hate talking to machines." Ratchet grumbled.

"Without Agent Fowler's direct aid, we will have to confiscate the Harvester on our own." Optimus announced, as he unfolded his blaster.

"Which translates to, 'Someone has to break into the museum and steal Poseidon's Golden Orb'." Mark stated.

"Steal museum property?" Jack repeated in disbelief.

"That sounds…illegal." Raf commented.

"Maybe we should try Lennox and NEST?" Elita suggested.

"Uh, that's a no go, Elita." Mark stated. "Last time I spoke with him, Lennox told me that he and his soldiers were going to be running through some training exercises and unavailable unless it's an end of the world emergency for this entire week."

"I do not wish to break human law. However, once the Decepticons learn of the harvester's location, they will not hesitate to obtain it by any means necessary. We must act covertly." Optimus proclaimed, which caused Jack and Mark to look at each other and try to stifle their laughter.

"No offence, Optimus, but covertly and giant robots don't really go well together." Jack reminded his giant friend.

"Jack's right." Mark said before elaborating. "Museums are public. And they have guards and security cameras."

"No problem!" Miko said excitedly, as she had, in her mind, the perfect idea. "We're small enough to sneak in! And we're not of government secret!"

"Miko, I'm not sure that's wise." Bulkhead argued.

"But it might be our best option, Bulkhead." Optimus told his friend.

"Besides, the more time we spend debating over what strategy we're gonna use to obtain the Energon harvester, the more time we give the Decepticons to steal it." Elita remarked.

_Onboard the Bridge of the Decepticon Warship,_

Sondwave displays the same image Raf had shown the Autobots on his screen 'face'.

"Mm-hmm. That's defiantly it." Breakdown said in agreement.

"Then I'm afraid Megatron's wellbeing will have to wait." Starscream declared with false sadness. "It's harvest time."

_American Museum,_

It was the dead of night and Autobots pull into the museum parking lot. As quietly as his truck engine would allow it, Optimus pulled up to the front entrance of the museum. Elita, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee were following him. Before departing from their base, they had come up with a plan. A plan that would allow them to recover the Harvester before the Decepticons had the chance to lay their oily clawed hands on the Golden Orb. And, like all plans, this plan wasn't flawless. So all they can do was go along with the plan and pray that it all ran smoothly. When they reached the front entrance, only Optimus remained behind. Elita, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee drove off in separate directions.

"Autobots, confirm position." Optimus requested.

"Westward ho." Arcee responded as she pulled up onto the footpath and deactivated her engine.

"_(Eastward secure.)"_ Bumblebee bleeped to Optimus.

"South side covered." Bulkhead answered as he and Elita parked in the back of the museum.

"Maintain your guard." Optimus ordered before deactivating his own throaty truck engine.

_At the Autobot Base,_

Optimus contacted the base. _"Jack, Mark, Miko, Rafael, I will have a clear view of you. Once you secure the harvester, I will contact Ratchet to bridge you back to base."_ He stated.

"Alright, Optimus, we're good to go." Mark responded as Ratchet activated the GroundBridge.

"Now since you'll bypass all points of entry, you won't have to worry about setting off the alarm. But take care to avoid any security guards." Ratchet warned his four teammates.

"We understand." Mark said as he nodded in confirmation. He turned to the other humans. "And remember. No matter what happens, as soon as we see any security guards and are at risk of getting busted, don't worry if we've obtained the harvester or not. Don't worry about any Decepticon that is about to attack us. Just run and get the hell out of there. I'll take the brunt. Got it?" Mark asked in complete seriousness.

"Got it." Jack, Miko and Raf chorused.

_Inside the Museum,_

A blinding light engulfed the dimly lit hallways of the museum. The green, white, blue and purple swirls of the GroundBridge were stationed in the correct manner as to not raise any alarms. On a scissor lift that Ratchet had modified, Jack, Mark, Miko and Raf rolled out. Behind them, the GroundBridge closed, along with their means of escape if they ended up getting caught.

_**In the Security room,**_

The guard looked at the screens. He saw nothing was out of order and as quiet as always.

_**At the end of the hallway,**_

Mark stopped the scissor lift so they could see if they were in the right area. Raf, Miko and Jack had to admit. They were fascinated at the dinosaur skeleton that was currently on display. They wouldn't admit it much, but they had a small fascination for dinosaurs. They want to know more about the magnificent creatures that roamed the Earth. They wanted to know more about the reasons behind the dinosaurs becoming extinct. However, they had an even more important task at hand. So they pulled their attention away from the dinosaur skeleton and to the statue of Poseidon.

"OPA!" Miko whisper yelled when they spotted the Harvester.

Immediately, they glanced to Optimus who was outside, waiting for him to give the all clear. Optimus didn't say anything through the com-link they had set up back at the base or yell anything out (not wanting to alert security guards). He just simply flashed his headlights a few times. Jack nodded in acknowledgement of them receiving his discrete signal and Mark raised the scissor lift a few feet until they were directly next to the security camera.

"Do your thing." Mark whispered to Miko.

Nodding, Miko reached into her pocket and withdrew her pink cell phone, flipping it into activation. She leaned closer to the camera and closed one eye to see the broader picture. She held her phone up at different angles before settling with holding the phone upside down. There was a small flash emitted from the phone as Miko took the picture. She changed the settings on her phone so the picture would always be on display before placing the phone on top of the camera, making sure that the screen was directly in front of the lens so she could fool the oblivious security guard into thinking the orb was still there. When she finished, Jack and Raf were looking at her weirdly, so she just shrugged nervously.

Mark pulled a roll of duct tape out of his jacket pocket, gesturing for Jack to take the controls of the scissor lift. Mark carefully and as quietly as possible pulled off a strip of tape. He tore off the strip and careful placed in over Miko's phone in order to secure it in place.

Slowly and carefully, Jack directed the scissor lift closer and closer to the stature of Poseidon. Optimus watched their every move carefully whilst also keeping an eye out for any Decepticons who would attempt to steal the harvester from them. Suddenly, he heard a vehicle approaching. He adjusted his side view mirror so he could get a better look of the oncoming car.

The car was a shiny red Aston Martini DBS V12 sports car. It pulled up next to the Peterbilt 932 Semi-Trailer truck that was Optimus Prime. The car couldn't help but let out a wolf whistle. This told Optimus everything he needed to know in order to identify the car. The car that was driving up beside him was Knockout, the Decepticon Doctor.

"Sweet rims. 24 gauge? You're reeeeeeal heavy duty!" Knockout remarked admirably. "Just like my friend here!"

Behind them, Breakdown arrived on the scene. A weapon appeared on the roof of his Jeep and from that machine, a missile was fired. Realizing the missile's purpose, Optimus transformed into his bipedal mode and caught the missile with his bare, metallic hands. However, he felt the same burning sensation in his feet that he felt when he was trying to stop the train from crashing with Jack, Mark, and Miko on board just one week ago. The concrete that made up of the parking lot and cement of the walkway did not agree with Optimus's giant, metal feet rubbing into them, causing painful friction for them both. Optimus skidded to a stop by the window of the museum. However, the end of the missile left a huge chip in the window, almost shattering it. Optimus looked at the damage he caused with wide eyes.

Jack, Mark, Miko and Raf were in the middle of making a grab for the Energon harvester when they heard the glass crack. They glanced nervously at Optimus who continued to look sheepish. Mark couldn't help but roll his eyes and shook his head at the Autobot leader's sheepish look. Eventually, Optimus pulled himself away from the gaze of his four young human friends. Immediately, he noticed that Knockout was nowhere in sight. Then he looked ahead of him and he saw Knockout with an Energon prod. Optimus let out a scream in pain as Breakdown stabbed the prod into his neck.

Optimus fell on his knees to the ground away from the museum before fully falling onto it face first. Taking his chance, Knockout climbed into his back and struck him with the Energon prod again. Optimus let out a silent scream of pain as he felt the painful electrical currents course through him.

"It's Cons!" Raf gasped nervously.

"And they've got Optimus!" Jack added in fear.

"Stay focus on what we're supposed to be doing." Mark hissed. He was worried about Optimus but knew the Autobot leader could take care of himself and the other Autobots were no doubt on their way to assist.

When he made sure Optimus was unconscious, Knockout flashed the headlights conveniently positioned onto his back during his transformation from his vehicle mode to his bipedal mode. Immediately, Breakdown took off at full speed for the museum. The four friends inside glanced at each other nervously when they heard and saw him coming at them. Thankfully, Bumblebee heard all the commotion that was going on out front. Therefore, he immediately raced to join in on the action.

Sensing Bumblebee's approach, Breakdown fired a missile at him. The missile hit close to Bumblebee as he transformed so the force of the impact was enough to send him flying and eventually skidding along the road.

Breakdown also sensed Arcee and Elita approaching to help their teammates. Knowing the threat the two femmes posed, Breakdown fired another missile. This time, aimed at the two femmes. As with Bumblebee, the missile exploded close to them. The blast knocked Arcee onto her side, skidding along the road, and caused Elita to skid out of control. Arcee grunted in pain as the friction between her and the road burnt her metal. Along the way, the two femmes crashed into Bumblebee who had just got up after being knocked down.

Breakdown heard another Autobot approaching. When he looked up, he saw Bulkhead jumping onto the ground from the roof of the museum. Relishing another opportunity to fight his enemy, he transformed into bipedal mode and punched Bulkhead in the face.

The punch sent Bulkhead flying backwards towards the museum. Along the way, Bulkhead rammed into Knockout and, together, the two crashed into a pillar holding the museum up. One of the pieces that broke off flew through one of the windows, shattering it…and consequently setting off the alarm.

Jack, Mark, Miko, and Raf froze in the middle of their actions…which was loading the Energon Harvester onto the scissor lift. With one last push from Raf, the Energon Harvester rolled out of Poseidon's stone hand onto the scissor lift with a loud bang.

_**In the security room,**_

"WHAT?!" The guard shouted as he heard the alarm. The guard looked at the screens again but was even more confused as the image of the complete statue was still on the screen. Putting down his paper, the guard decided to investigate the source of the alarm. It could have just been a car backfiring or someone setting off a firework too close to the museum but it was better to be safe than sorry.

_**Back outside the Museum,**_

Optimus groaned as he came to from the effects of the Energon prod. He was still in a significant amount of pain but he knew it would eventually pass.

When Knockout shook his head to stop himself from seeing double, he noticed that Optimus was slowly regaining consciousness. He didn't like that. If Prime regained consciousness, their entire plan would fail miserably. Therefore, he went at Optimus with the Energon prod once again.

Sensing his incoming attack, Optimus rolled over and raised his arm, giving Knockout a good backhanded slap in the process, thus knocking Knockout away from him.

_**Meanwhile, inside the Museum,**_

Jack and Raf stood beside the Harvester as Mark lowered the scissor lift down so they could get out of the museum. "Come on. Time to make our exit, guys." Miko remarked.

Before Mark could say anything, Miko climbed off the scissor lift and ran ahead of them, looking for a way out without getting caught.

"Miko get back here!" Mark hissed as the girl as he navigated the lift after Miko but was ignored. He was half-tempted just to call Ratchet to GroundBridge them back to base and leave Miko behind but he quickly squashed those thoughts.

When Miko turned to the left, she saw a garage. She thought it was perfect, so she hit the button to open it. As the roller door slowly raised itself automatically, she took off running and climbed underneath it. However, she froze and gasped when the light from a flashlight suddenly illuminated her. The security guard was standing there looked at her sternly. That was when Miko had realized she had been busted.

"Uh…wassup?" Miko greeted nervously.

"Better come with me, miss." The security guard said seriously, as he grabbed Miko by the wrist and dragged her to his office.

"Not good." Jack remarked as they saw Miko be caught.

"And once again, Miko's recklessness gets her into trouble." Mark said as he shook his head.

"Look!" Raf gasped.

They looked underneath the exit garage door and saw a pair of Cybertronian legs. At first initial glance, they thought it was someone they know.

"Arcee!" Jack called out before they ran for her.

However, when this person pushed open the door and looked underneath, they realized that it wasn't Arcee. They froze in their tracks in horror.

"It's Soundwave!" Raf cried.

Soundwave looked at the three humans that stood between him and the Energon Harvester. He released his tentacles and roughly pushed the three out of his way as he reached for and grabbed the Energon Harvester. He stepped outside, transformed into his General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper vehicle mode, and flew off.

_**Out in front of the Museum,**_

Knockout and Breakdown saw Soundwave flying away from the museum with their prize in hand. "Mmm, that would be game." Knockout commented. He and Breakdown transformed into their vehicle modes and drove off.

The Autobots were about to pursue the Decepticons. "Guys, wait up!" Mark's voice shouted. The Autobots turned and saw their three male charges running out of the Museum.

"The Decepticons have the Harvester!" Jack shouted as he, Mark, and Raf ran up to the Autobots.

"And security has Miko!" Raf added.

"What?!" Bulkhead shouted as he balled up his fists. "I'm going in after her."

Optimus stopped him. "Bulkhead, Miko might be detained, but she is safe from harm." He reassured Bulkhead.

_Shortly, in the Museum's Security Room,_

Miko and the security guard were back in his office. Miko just sat there looking bored as he tapped his fingers on his desk and watched her with a look that clearly said, 'I'm not amused but not angry at you'. After escorting Miko to the security room, he locked her inside and went back on his search, finding the front of the museum destroyed.

"Look, kid. I don't know how you got in here but if you had anything to do with what happened to the front of the museum, then you should know that the authorities are on their way." The security guard told Miko. "It'd go a whole lot easier for you if you just told me what happened and if you saw anything out front." He said, trying to get her to talk.

"I was doing research for my history report. I just lost track of time and got trapped in here after closing." Miko lied very convincingly. "I was just looking for a way out when I heard the explosion as well."

The security guard gave Miko a questioning look. "Well, seeing as it might be a while before the police get here, why don't you tell what your history report is all about?" The security guard asked with a smug smirk. "I'd love to know."

"Uh…" Miko trailed off as she tried to think of what to say.

_Meanwhile, at the Autobot Base,_

Optimus was issuing his next commands. "In all likelihood, Starscream will use the Energon Harvester to gather as much Energon as quickly as he can on the planet's un-mineable Energon deposits." He said as the team was going to have to divide to cover the different areas. "Approach with extreme caution. Starscream will not hesitate to use the Harvester on anyone of us."

Bumblebee was sent to a forest area, Arcee went to a desert area, and Elita was sent to national park. Bulkhead was about to go through but was stopped by Optimus. "Bulkhead, it is best you remain here." Optimus stated.

"So I can bust Miko out of the museum?" Bulkhead asked quickly, still not liking that they had to leave his charge behind.

"To help Ratchet." Optimus corrected. "You might be Miko's guardian, but she requires human assistance. Agent Fowler remains her best option." With that said, Optimus transformed and drove through the vortex.

Bulkhead watched the vortex close in disbelief.

"_You've reach Special Agent William Fowler. I am current on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday."_ Fowler's recording played.

Raf was trying to contact Fowler. "Still no answer." He said to Bulkhead.

Bulkhead was furious. "Fowler's lounging around some poolside cabana. Ragh!" He growled before he pounded his fist down on the nearest object…which happened to be one of Ratchet's tools.

"Bulkhead, I NEED THAT!" Ratchet shouted angrily.

"We can free Miko, if we just get that Harvester back to the museum." Bulkhead said.

"So the Decepticons can steal it again?" Ratchet questioned.

Bulkhead realized the stupidity of the suggestion and grabbed his head. "I am so dumb!" He shouted to himself.

"So how are we going to help Miko?" Jack asked Ratchet.

"By returning this replica to the museum." Ratchet answered as he held up an almost compete replica of the Harvester. "The construction of which would be going a whole lot faster if Bulkhead hadn't just mangled my FRAME WELDER!"

"We've became trespassers and thieves. Might as well make it a hat trick and add forgery to the list." Mark commented dryly.

Bulkhead sighed. "I wish I never took Miko to the…" He started to say when he suddenly remembered something. "The painting of the Harvester isn't the only thing we've found in those Ruins."

"I'm sorry?" Ratchet asked in confusion.

"Starscream's not dumb." Bulkhead stated as he explained his thought to Ratchet. "No matter what kind of tool he has he's going to take the easier way."

_At the Ruins of Ancient Greece,_

The Decepticons were preparing to harvest the Energon. "Why move mountains now when we have a mother lode of Energon right here for the taking?" Starscream said as he held up the Energon Harvester in his hand. "Courtesy of this gift from ancient Autobots."

"Uh…actually Commander Starscream, it was a gift from Breakdown and myself." Knockout corrected as he and Breakdown stood behind Starscream.

Starscream just sighed in frustration and aimed the Harvester at the both of them, causing them to cringe in fear. Starscream fired the Harvester towards them but instead of hitting them, the beam it a Vehicon that stood guard.

The Harvester opened slightly and the Energon from the Vehicon was being drained. He moaned and yelped in pain as he felt his life force being sucked out of him and flow into the harvester. Starscream watched in sick fascination. With a few choked gasps and pleas for mercy, the Decepticon drone had fallen face first onto the dirt-and-stone-composed ground below, dead. Knockout and Breakdown stared in horror. The Harvester closed when its job was over.

"All that Energon in such a tiny vessel." Starscream said as he admired the Harvester's work.

"Those ancient Autobots never missed a trick, _Lord_ Starscream." Knockout said, sucking up to Starscream, with Breakdown nodding in agreement.

Starscream glared at the two Decepticons and aimed the Harvester at them. The two trembled and cowered in fear as they tried to shield themselves. However, instead of using it on them, Starscream moved it towards the otherwise un-mineable Energon and activated the Harvester. The blue substance that was their very life source flowed from the crystals into the harvester.

They were unaware that Bulkhead had arrived and witnessed everything. _'It seems that Jack and Mark were right on the money.'_ Bulkhead thought after he saw what Starscream did to the Vehicon. He quietly slid down the hill and began running towards the Cons. His actions were unnoticed…until he accidently stepped on a clay pot, shattering it completely.

Knockout and Breakdown turned and saw Bulkhead.

"Oh scrap." Bulkhead cursed as he smacked his forehead.

Breakdown shifted his hand into his sledgehammer and Knockout pulled out his Energon prod. "Back for seconds?" Breakdown teased before they both darted towards Bulkhead. Breakdown went to the Bulkhead's left and Knockout went after the right.

"Uh?" Bulkhead said as he tried to think of what to do. On his right, Knockout was spinning the staff rapidly like it was a baton. To his left, he saw Breakdown pulling back the arm that had the hand replaced with his hammer. Seeing that he had no other options, Bulkhead simply ducked down.

As Bulkhead ducked, Breakdown ended up smashing Knockout in the face with his hammer instead. Knockout was sent flying and lost his grip on his staff. Bulkhead snatched up the Energon prod and, much like Knockout had done to Optimus as the museum, Bulkhead stuck the prod into Breakdown's neck, knocking him out.

Bulkhead was satisfied as he watched his old enemy twitch in pain from the electrical currents coursing through his veins. He couldn't help but see this as payback for what Breakdown and Knockout did to Optimus back at the museum. However, when he turned around, Starscream activated the Energon Harvester and the beam hit Bulkhead square in the chest. The former Wrecker was suddenly moaning and gasping as he felt the Energon being sucked from his body. He fell over onto all fours

Starscream sneered evilly as he watched the Energon being sucked out of Bulkhead. "You're a big one. This could take a while." He sneered.

Bulkhead suddenly got an idea. It would indeed take longer for Starscream to drain him than it did the Vehicon, which meant he had a chance to do something about the Harvester. Deciding to do what he did best, Bulkhead used all his strength to get back up to his feet and stomp towards Starscream.

The would-be Decepticon leader was caught off guard by Bulkhead's actions. "Wait? What are you doing?" He asked in surprise.

"What I do best." Bulkhead answered as he grabbed the Harvester with one hand. "Breaking things!" He punched Starscream on the face with his other hand. The blow sent Starscream flying head first into the wall.

Bulkhead took the Harvester and crushed it in his hand. This caused the Harvester to start shooting out sparks, as it was short-circuiting. Seeing the sparks, Bulkhead pulled his servo back and chucked the device into the air. Moments later, the Harvester exploded, releasing a wave of Energon that quickly dissolved into nothing.

Bulkhead wobbled a bit before he fell backwards onto the ground. He was exhausted from the amount of Energon drained from his body by the Harvester.

Knockout and Breakdown had recovered from Bulkhead's onslaught and not stood over the collapsed Autobot. "He's a glutton for punishment." Knockout commented with a sinister smirk.

Before they could do anything, a GroundBridge vortex opened. The rest of the member of Team Prime emerged and immediately started firing their guns at the Decepticons.

Breakdown shielded his face with his arm. "Fight?" He asked his partner.

"Mmm, drive." Knockout corrected, as they were seriously outgunned.

They both transformed and drove out of the area as fast as they could. Starscream saw how things gone horribly wrong, so he transformed to jet mode and flew out of there.

The Autobots all surrounded Bulkhead who looked up at his friends and smiled. "Hey." He said weakly.

_A few hours later, inside the Museum Security Room,_

Miko was concluding her report. "And of course there's the principles of Deus ex Machina, uh the God of Machines." She stated. "It's that part in Greek storytelling where a character appears out of the blue to make everything right."

"That so young lady?" The guard asked. "I'm pretty sure the police would be interested to hear about your History report."

There was a knock on the door before it was swung open, revealing Agent Fowler. Fowler took a quick glance around the room as he entered and pulled out his badge to show the guard. "Special Agent William Fowler," Fowler introduced himself as he flashed his badge for the guard. "The stolen property has been located and restored in museum premises."

The guard was suspicious of the federal agent's claim but when he turned to the screen and saw the orb was there, looked at the screen and the orb was back on the statue. The guard had spotted the orb missing earlier and that it was still on the screen when he returned. Figuring that someone had hacked the computer systems, he turned off the screen and ran the security system check. The screen automatically came back on when the scan was complete while Miko was giving her report but the guard hadn't noticed until just now. The golden orb, unbeknownst to the guard, was actually the replica that Ratchet had constructed.

Fowler walked over to Miko. "The girl comes with me." He stated as he pulled Miko up to her feet. "I'll make sure she gets home safely." He then reached into his jacket and pulled out Miko's cellphone. "You dropped your cell phone, miss." Fowler told her as he gave it back before ushering towards the door. "Found it on the floor right next to your History report." He said the last part loud enough to make sure the guard had heard him.

_Outside the museum,_

Miko gasped with surprise as Bulkhead pulled up to the curb. She turned to Agent Fowler. "Off you go." Fowler said as Miko gave him a thumbs-up.

She hopped in the passenger side. "Good timing, Bulk." Miko complimented as she hoped into her friend's vehicle mode and bulked up. "I was running out of history factoids. Stuff I didn't know I knew."

"Looks like you're smarter than you let on." Bulkhead complimented.

"Under pressure." Miko added.

"Me too." Bulkhead agreed with a chuckle.

He then started to drive out of the parking lot in order to head back to Base. "I can't wait to finish my History report!" Miko said excitedly. "I'm gonna write all about how the Autobots interacted with ancient civilization!"

"Uh, I'm not so sure that'll get you into college, Miko." Bulkhead stated nervously.

**To Be Continued…**


	11. Chapter 11: Speed Metal

_**Author's Note**__**: This chapter introduces other characters who may or may not make more appearances later on. I'm also going to be addressing the specific vehicle mode of Elita One, as I've finally decided on one. I'll be going back through some of the chapters and making changes where necessary.**_

**Transformers Prime**

**Chapter 11: Speed Metal**

_**On a dirt road,**_

A familiar shiny red Aston Martini DBS V12 sports car with white decals was driving down one of the many back roads towards a local hot spot for street racing. The driver had the radio playing. _"As metropolitan PD continues to crack down on illegal street racing, citing the danger to both drivers and pedestrians-"_ the new reporter was cut off as the driver switched off the radio. He was uninterested in listening to more reports of local cops attempting to put a stop to illegal street racing.

Oddly enough, the radio was switched off automatically, not by a person's hand. This car was known other than the Decepticon Doctor, Knockout. He knew that Starscream would probably kick his aft to kingdom come if he found out about Knockout's activities. However, Knockout didn't care as the thrill of illegal street racing was too hard to resist.

Up ahead, three other cars were waiting, with the drivers revving the engines. The ref walked out in front of cars as Knockout pulled up. They were all waiting for the right time to start and for everyone to arrive. All the cars were built for speed and had many modifications that were illegal. The Decepticon car intrigued the large muscular, tattooed driver of the muscle car Knockout had pulled up next to.

"Not from around here." The driver commented, referring to the car model. "European design?" He asked curiously, only to get no response from Knockout. The driver didn't like being ignored like that. "Sure is pretty. Too pretty…" The driver said with a grin as he tightened his right hand into a fist. _'This race is for fully grown men, not prissy little boys with pretty cars.'_ He thought. Using his ring, he scratched the paintwork on the driver's side door.

Knockout used his side view mirror to inspect the damage. Then he turned to the driver, who just shrugged, satisfied with his work, and rolled up his heavily tinted window.

"Big mistake!" Knockout gritted as he changed gears.

The ref held the flashlight above his head and switched it on, signaling for the race begin. All four cars took off, eager to beat their opponents to the finish line. For Knockout, he was eager not only to be the first to cross the finish line, but also to obtain his revenge against the driver who scratched his paintjob. The race was mean and grueling. The driver had the lead. He looked in his rearview mirror and smirked at the other drivers behind him before going even faster. Flames were escaping from the engine through the exhaust pipe as the RPM meter read dangerously close to seven thousand.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of squealing tires. He looked in his rearview mirror once again and saw that Knockout was quickly gaining the upper hand in this race. He rammed himself into the car. It was time to make this human pay for damaging his paintjob.

"HEY!" The driver cried out in protest.

With one single ram as they turned the corner, the driver went over the edge, destroying the guardrail. The car didn't even tumble down the cliff face or see-saw on a particular ledge. It just headed straight to the bottom, upside down, and the sound of the car crashing as music to Knockout's ears.

"Dude…" The driver moaned.

"You scratch my paint, I scratch yours." Knockout sneered dangerously before driving away, intent on reaching the finish line.

_**Meanwhile, in Jasper, Nevada,**_

The normally quiet streets were abuzz with excitement. Tearing through the streets of Jasper, several cars raced by. Normally, such activities would be considered illegal but not here. Jasper was one of the few places where street racing wasn't necessarily illegal provided the racers followed several rules. One, all races had to be planned several weeks if not months ahead and received approval from the mayor's office and all participants $50 and spectators $20 entrance fee. That money is used to pay for the costs that goes along with these sorts of activities have. Two, police were notified of the race's course so that they could close off those streets to avoid accidents. Three, all drivers must take a breathalyzer test before the race. Four, the hospital must be notified of the race ahead of time and several ambulances must be on sight to provide medical treatment if there are any accidents. Five, purposely driving someone off the road is not allowed and anyone caught doing so will be heavily fined, and possibly imprisoned.

Now, just because these rules are in place, doesn't mean that they are always followed. The police rule is mostly for whenever the race goes through the actual town and not just the roads outside of Jasper, so the police aren't always involved. Some races, like those of the Circuit, don't require an entrance fee as these are just for fun and organized by the racers themselves. There are still unsanctioned races that take place but those are usual done by those who think they are too good for the rules.

However, most of these races weren't really talked about by those that participate in them, so you could call it one of the town's dirty little secrets.

Anyway, the race was fast paced with the cars trying to pass each other. Then, one of the cars broke away from the pack. It was a 2009 Black Corvette z06 with a strange dark red face marking just a little in front of the driver's door. The mark on the car was the Autobot insignia. The driver of the car was Mark Shadow. Not many knew his identity in the races as no one ever checked the online registration systems for street racing to see who the driver was, only if the car was properly registered for the races.

Mark had won several races and, thanks to the upgraded maneuverability Ratchet made to his car, had dealt with some of the more dirty racers. The winnings from those races were added to the bank account that held the money he received from the government, which was slowly starting to grow. The car had everything Mark could need for not only racings but also dealing with the Decepticons if they ever found him. Sarah had been reluctant to agree but Ratchet insisted on installing a couple of weapons' systems into the car. Better to have the car ready to fight off Cons and never need it, than for Mark to be caught by the Cons again while the Autobots were busy and him not able to defend himself.

However, right now, the only thing Mark was focused on was passing the finish line first. He was beginning to pull further and further ahead when some lights lit up his rearview mirror. Behind him, a dark blue Urbana 500 with green highlights and a black 2012 Acura TL Advance Packagewere also pulling away from the pack and closing the distance between them. "Hmm, must be from out of town…" Mark muttered to himself, as he didn't recognize these car from any of the previous races, before and since he started racing, or the gatherings. He then grinned. "This should be fun."

Whenever Mark races, he has to make sure that he doesn't always win, otherwise it would draw way too much attention to himself. Granted he could easily smoke everyone, thanks to his and Ratchet's modifications, but Mark knew that the money he could make wasn't worth being hassled by the other drivers. Besides, he was racing for the fun of it, not for the money involved.

Unfortunately, for these newcomers, Mark was not in a losing mode tonight. Just as the newcomers were pulling up alongside him, Mark prepared to shift gears so he could speed up even more. Before shifting gears, Mark looked at the Acura TL and saw that there was a grey symbol on the side of the driver's door. The symbol was of an eagle with a shield on its chest surrounded by words that acted like a border. The words themselves were sounded by another circle made up of ten connected triangles, giving it a ten-pointed star look. The words surrounding the eagle read, "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."

Mark immediately recognized the symbol from the logo he had seen in the corner of Nick Fury's screen when Mark had been introduced to Agent Fowler's superiors. Mark narrowed his eyes behind the visor of his helmet. _'What is S.H.I.E.L.D. doing here?'_ He wondered. He quickly brushed this off and shifted gears, accelerating to an even higher speed, leaving the other two drivers in his dust.

A few moments later, Mark passed the finish line followed by the Urbana 500 and then the S.H.I.E.L.D. Acura TL. "And the winner is Shadow Racer!" The announcer declared getting a cheer from the crowd as Mark climbed out of the car with his helmet on. Shadow Racer was a nickname the other drivers had given him as he rarely took off his helmet.

The driver of the dark blue Urbana 500 opened the door and revealed that the driver was a female. She looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. She was a tall bombshell with tanned skin and long black hair. She had steely blue eyes and a small diamond stud on her nose. Her clothing looked more appropriate for a rock concert but Mark certain wasn't going to complain about it. Thick black, leather-riding jacket was over a pink t-shirt that read 'Armageddon was yesterday, today we have problems' in bold blue letters, slightly ripped skinny jeans, and heavy duty boots.

The driver of the S.H.I.E.L.D. edition of the Acura TL remained inside his car. The driver was here on a mission, not joyriding.

Mark walked over to the female driver and took off his helmet. "Nice race." He stated truthfully, as he held out his hand.

The female gave him a bright smile and shook his hand. "Thanks but you pretty much smoked me and everyone else." She stated. She could tell he was just being nice.

Mark shrugged. "Eh, maybe this time but you never know, next time it could be you who leaving everyone in the dust." He stated. "By the way, name's Mark Shadow."

"Mikaela Banes." The young woman introduced herself.

The two let go of each other's hand. "I haven't seen you around school or town so I take it you're new in town?" Mark asked curiously.

"Yeah, I just moved here about two days ago." Mikaela stated. "I moved in with my uncle, Daniel Witwicky, and am helping out at his garage."

"Ah, Sparkplug the town Mechanic." Mark said in understanding. Everyone in Jasper knew old Daniel "Sparkplug" Witwicky as he was nice to everyone and was the one that pretty much everyone took their cars to for repairs and system checks. He and his son, Spike, were the main mechanics at Witwicky Auto Repair and Tow. Mark had been offered a job but preferred working at the junkyard.

The manager of the race then came up to Mark and Mikaela. "Hey, there's our two winners!" He greeted happily, as he held two envelopes in his hands. "First place prize money is yours, Shadow." He handed Mark a thick envelope. "And the runner-up money is yours, Ms. Banes." He gave Mikaela an envelope not nearly as filled as Mark's, which she took.

Mark gave Mikaela a quick goodbye and went back to his car, putting his helmet on as he went. Once inside with the door close, he opened the envelope and counted the money, making sure it was all there, which it was. Mark wished he could trust the racing managers but he knew better as there were some who would try to screw people out of their money.

After making sure he had all the money, Mark started up his car and headed for home. On the way home, he noticed that the S.H.I.E.L.D. car was following him. _'Okay… so whoever it is wants to speak with me…'_ Mark thought to himself. He briefly contemplated calling the Autobots but decided against it. He opted against heading directly home and pulled into an old abandoned warehouse.

The driver of the S.H.I.E.L.D. car cocked an eyebrow as he followed Mark into the warehouse. _'This kid is cautious, I'll give him that.'_ He thought to himself in approval.

Mark reached behind the passenger seat and pulled out a crowbar, just in case this turned ugly. Climbing out of his car, Mark saw the other driver was getting out of his car as well.

The man stood at 5 feet 10 inches tall, and looked to be in good shape, most likely weighing about 200 pounds. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a white dress suit under his jacket with a dark blue tie around his neck. The man had a vanilla folder in his left hand.

"Who are you?" Mark asked as he tightened his grip of the crowbar.

"My name is Phil Coulson. I'm an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." The man stated calmly as he pulled out a badge from a pocket inside his coat and handed it to Mark. Mark looked it over and saw that it was authentic. Fowler had drilled into his head how to tell if badge was authentic or fake. "I must say I'm a bit surprised that you decided to pull into this warehouse." Agent Coulson stated after Mark gave him back his badge.

"When I saw you following me, I decided to play it safe, just in case you weren't actually a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent." Mark said with a shrug.

Coulson nodded in approval. "I apologize for the scare but I'm afraid that time is of the essence and Special Agent Fowler is current busy with another assignment." He stated. "I'm sure that you're aware that there are other areas in the country where street racing is legal as well as illegal?"

Mark nodded, as he knew this.

Coulson held the folder out to Mark, who cocked an eyebrow but set down the crowbar and took the folder. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has taken to monitoring these races in order to find criminals who like to recruit drivers to run drugs and other illegal items across country or the border." He revealed as Mark opened the folder to look over its contents. "A few weeks ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. secretly launched a new satellite into orbit that was designed specifically to track Energon signatures found in the bodies of both Autobots and Decepticons. Over the last couple of weeks, a red Aston Martini DBS V12 sports car has been making an appearance at various street races. The Energon Detection Satellite, or EDS, has also detected an Energon signature coming from this same red sports car."

Mark flipped through the papers and found a picture of the car in question. The car was indeed a red Aston Martini DBS V12 with white decals on the sides and it looked very familiar to Mark. "Any chances that it's a malfunction in the satellite?" He asked.

Coulson shook his head. "We've already checked." He revealed. "But there's more to it. Recently, one of our agents witnessed another driver purposely scratch the red car's paintjob. During the race, the red car purposely ran the other racer off the road in retaliation. Sound like anyone you know of?" Coulson asked.

"Knockout." Mark said calmly. After their first encounter with Breakdown and Knockout, the Autobots had told Mark and the others about both of the new Cons. Apparently, Knockout was known for being extremely vain and would tear Bots apart if they messed with his paintjob.

"Luckily no one has been killed, just banged up." Coulson stated as he reached into his jacket for something. "However, there have been a few close calls and Fury doesn't want to take any chances that this will expose the Autobots and Decepticons to the public." He pulled out a flash drive. "This will give the Autobots temporary access to the satellite so they can deal with the Con."

Mark accepted the flash drive and looked at it. "Any chances of the Autobots getting permanent access to it?" He asked.

Coulson gave him a curious look. "Why do you ask?"

Mark shrugged. "Well, if the satellite is capable of finding a single Decepticon's Energon signature then with the proper calibrations, it could be used to find deposits of raw Energon." He stated. "If the Autobots knew where the Energon Deposits were before the Cons did, they could secure and mine those areas before the Decepticons could. After all, the Autobots need Energon to survive and quite frankly I think they're starting to run dangerously low. Having access to this satellite could change all that."

Coulson gave Mark a blank look but inside he was slightly surprised and impressed. _'This kid…he's thinking beyond the here and now and worrying about the future…'_ Coulson observed. _'That's not something seen in most people these days. His idea and request are smart ones though. I'll definitely be relaying it to Director Fury.'_ He thought before address Mark. "I'll see what I can do but I make no guarantees." He stated.

Mark nodded in understanding. He took the file and flash drive, picked up his crowbar, and climbed back into his car. He then headed for home, taking the scenic route to make sure he wouldn't be followed.

Agent Coulson pulled out his cellphone, which was on a secure line that the Cons couldn't access as far as S.H.I.E.L.D. knew, as he climbed into his car. "Director Fury, the package has been developed." He reported. "However, the kid mentioned something that I believe we should take into consideration…" Coulson then left the warehouse.

_**The Next Day, at Memorial High,**_

The school day was over and Jack was climbing into the driver's seat of Elita One's vehicle mode, a purple McLaren MP4-12C Spider with red highlights. He closed the door and left the retractable roof down. People at school were surprised when Jack first started being seen driving such an expensive car but when Jack and Mark made a show of Mark asking Jack how the car was running and revealing that Mark was the actual owner it made sense. It was well known that Mark liked to fix of wrecked vehicles, so when word got out that the McLaren MP4-12C was originally a wreck from a Gumball/Cannonball run that Mark had fixed up, everyone just accepted it.

"Hey! Cherry pedal car!" An annoying voice called out to Jack as he was buckling in.

Jack looked over and saw the school bully, Vince, leaning up against his muscle car. Vince liked to make people's lives miserable, especially Jack's. Fortunately, for Jack and the other would be victims of the bullies, Mark was around and kept Vince and his cronies in line. "Uh, this pedal car can go from 0 to 60 in 2.1 seconds." He proudly informed the bully.

Elita then pulled out of the parking space and drove off, leaving Vince to frown at the news he had just heard.

They soon came to a stop at a red light. "Um, Jack, not that I don't mind you sticking up for me but a lady's vital stats are her own business." Elita stated calmly.

Jack sighed, as he knew this was coming.

"Hey!" A female voice called out. Jack turned his head to the left and saw his high school crush, Sierra, standing on the sidewalk with one of her friends. Sierra was a pretty girl with red hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had cute freckles than ran across her nose and green eyes. She was wearing a red skirt, tennis shoes, and a purple sweater of a white dress shirt. Sierra was the cheerleading captain and one of the most popular girls at school. "It's Jake, right?" She asked as she was trying to remember Jack's name.

"Actually, it's Jack." Jack corrected gently.

Sierra smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Jack." She apologized. "I'm Sierra."

"Oh, I know, we have a number of classes together at school." Jack said with a kind smile.

"I was wondering if you might be able to give me a ride." Sierra requested.

Jack was surprised by this sudden move and wasn't exactly sure how to answer. "Umm…"

"Sorry, kid, but I'm your guardian, not your wingman." Elita whispered.

Before Jack could come up with a good reason for denying Sierra's request, a loud engine revving caught their attention. It was Vince's supped up 'muscle car' pulled up between the sidewalk and Elita. "Hey, hey, small world." Vince sneered.

"I'm having a conversation." Jack said, even though he was slightly relieved by the interruption.

"Cheer captain here might enjoy watching you take on four wheels of muscle car." Vince smirked as he gestured to Sierra and her friend who were standing there gossiping to one another quietly.

"Are you challenging me? To a race?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"Catch on quick, ponch. What do you say?" Vince responded impatiently.

"Uh…" Jack stuttered nervously. He looked over at Sierra who gave him an encouraging gesture to accept the challenge. He knew about the rules Optimus had set but the opportunity to finally shut Vince up and impress Sierra at the same time was too good to pass up.

Unfortunately, Jack didn't get the chance to choose or answer the question. As soon as the light turned green, Elita immediately hit the gas as she could tell that Jack was going to accept.

"Whoa!" Jack cried out in surprise as the car took off. Once he gave his head a shake, he realized what had happened. "You didn't let me answer!" Jack practically screeched in frustration.

"Sorry Jack but no." Elita answered for him.

"But Elita, we can smoke him." Jack objected.

"Yup." Elita agreed completely.

Jack sighed in annoyance. "You just don't get it." He complained.

"Jack, you know that I don't make the rules, Optimus does." Elita reminded him because, if it were up to her, she'd smoke that punk. However, as Optimus's Sparkmate and Team Prime's second-in-command, she had to set an example for the others. Therefore, as much as she wanted to help Jack out, she couldn't. "And rule number one, in case you forgot it: never abuse power for personal gain and that includes horse power."

Jack sighed as they came to a stop at another red light. Vince had followed after them, determined to get an answer. "Look, Vince, maybe racing isn't such a good idea." Jack declined

Vince laughed tauntingly. "Figures." He sneered. "You ride around like your car's something special, but it's just a chunky, clunky piece of junk! And ugly!" Vince sneered before doing a fast U-turn in front of Elita and Jack, racing back towards Sierra and her friend to gloat.

Unfortunately, for Vince, he said the wrong thing to say about Elita One, especially to her face. "That's it! The yahoo's going down!" Elita proclaimed angrily before pulling a U-turn of her own and racing after Vince at high speeds.

"Whoa! What happened to rule number one?" Jack asked with a grin under his helmet.

"It's getting bent, just this once." Elita declared, much to Jack's enjoyment.

_**Back with Sierra and her friend,**_

Sierra and her friend were walking down the street when Vince pulled up. "Yo, girls!" He called cockily as he leaned over the door of his car. "Your pal, Darby, he's-"

Whatever Vince was going to say was interrupted by the sounds of screeching tires, as Jack and Elita arrived. "Ready when you are, Vinny!" Jack called as Elita revved her engine.

Vince was surprised by this but then he grinned cockily. "Dirt road by Trucker's Ranch, one hour." He stated without fear.

_**One Hour Later, Dirt Road by Trucker's Ranch,**_

Jack and Vince were on the dirt road at trucker's ranch ready to go. Sierra and her friend stood by the edge of the road eager to witness the showdown between muscle car and sports car.

"From here to the next mile mark. Ready. GO!" Vince yelled before taking off.

"Well, that was fair." Jack remarked sarcastically as Elita took off after Vince.

As Vince and Jack rode past, Sierra and her friend had to place their hands on their skirts to stop themselves from flashing what they had underneath.

Vince looked in his rearview mirror and saw that Jack was still a good distance behind him.

"Uh…Elita…?" Jack trailed off, as he knew she could so a lot faster than this.

"Winning isn't enough, Jack." Elita said, her grin was evident in her voice. "You wanna make him CRY."

Vince smirked cockily as he thought he had the race in the bag. He looked into his rearview mirror and was shocked to see that Jack was no longer visible. He heard the sound of an engine next to him. He turned around and was surprised to see Jack and Elita driving along next to him! Jack waved casually before Elita shifted gears and swerved in front of him, accelerating at impossible speeds.

"Wha?" Vince gasped in shock, as he couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.

Elita honked her horn in victory as they drove past the mile marker before Vince. Jack let out a whoop in celebration.

"Outstanding!" Jack cried. He then thought of something and. "Hey, you know, now might be a good time to give Sierra a quick ride around the block?" He suggested hopefully.

Elita chuckled. "Nice try, Jack." She told him as she kept on driving, heading towards the Autobot base.

Jack shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "It was worth a try." He stated.

_**Meanwhile, in the Med-Lab of the Decepticon Warship,**_

Breakdown was hard at work buffing the comatose Megatron when the door to the Med-Lab opened, revealing Starscream.

Breakdown stopped his buffing and looked at Starscream. "Ah, Breakdown, has there been any change in Megatron's condition?" Starscream asked as he walked into the sick bay.

"Hmm, only cosmetic." Breakdown answered honestly, as he removed the buffer device he was holding from Megatron's body.

"Well, I am sure that you and the good doctor have been doing everything in your power." Starscream stated before he looked around and noticed that someone was missing. "Where is Knockout?"

Just then, the door to the Med-Lab opened and revealed an annoyed Knockout. "Can you believe what some skin job did to me?" Knockout scoffed in disbelief as he showed them the scratch on his arm.

"You have been street racing among the humans again, haven't you?" Starscream gasped in realized.

Knockout smiled. "I'm not only an Automobile. I'm an automobile enthusiast." He stated proudly.

"I do strive to run a tight ship, Knockout." Starscream said, as he was not amused by this news. "We would strongly suggest that you seek our permission next time you decide to disappear on one of your little jaunts."

"No worries, Herr Commandant." Knockout said breezily as he waved off Starscream.

"It is LORD to you." Starscream growled angrily.

Knockout smirked. "Only if Megatron takes a nosedive." He retorted as he pointed to the unconscious Megatron's medical screens.

Starscream walked up close to Knockout and got in the doctor's face. "The day our lord emerges from stasis, I will graciously relinquish the title." Starscream promised. "But I believe that outcome is unlikely, something to do with the quality of medical care around here." Knockout sneered at Starscream jab at his skills. "So continue buffing. We do want Megatron looking his best for the memorial." The temporary leader of the Decepticons left the Med-Lab.

"Buff this!" Knock Out called out as he gave Starscream's retreating form the bird.

_**Shortly, at the Autobot Base,**_

Jack and Elita had arrived at the base. Elita stopped in the entrance hallway, and allowed Jack to get out before she transformed. "Not a word to anyone." Elita reminded Jack. She wanted to keep this as much a secret as possible, though she knew there was a chance Optimus already suspected something because of their bond.

"Our little secret." Jack promised.

Elita smiled at him before walking away. Jack presumed she was going to find Optimus for a briefing or just to spend some time with him as an actual couple.

"DUDE!" Miko called out excitedly as she ran up to Jack. "Vroom! Vroom! Vroom! And the winner is…!" She started pointing at Jack, expecting him to finish the sentence.

Jack looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Miko, w-who told you?" He demanded nervously.

"You kidding?" Miko asked him in confusion. She then smiled brightly. "It's all over school!" She told Jack.

However, instead of looking happy or excited like Miko expected, Jack looked horrified.

"You beat the pants off that blow-hard bully, Vince!" Raf gushed excitedly as he walked up to Jack and Miko.

Suddenly, Miko yelped out in surprise as Jack pulled her closer to him. Raf yelled out as well when Talida did the same thing, causing all four of them to end up in a group huddle so they could have their own private conversation.

"You guys have to keep this on the DL, especially from Optimus." Jack whispered to them.

"Good luck with that." Mark said as he walked up to the huddling trio. "Optimus and Elita share a spark bond, which allows them to sense what the other is feeling and even communicate with each other over great distances. Chances are that Optimus already knows about it or soon will." He reminded the group. The Autobots had explained this to their human friends a while back when Sarah had asked about Optimus and Elita's relationship.

Jack looked really worried about this.

Mark saw this and shook his head. "Don't sweat it, Jack, I'm sure Elita will explain things to Optimus and you won't get in too much trouble." He assured his friend before heading into the main meeting area.

Fortunately, for Jack, Optimus wasn't at the base at the moment so he was able to avoid the uncomfortable questioning.

_**That evening,**_

Jack, Miko, and Raf were taken home, but Mark remained at the base to discuss something with Optimus and the Autobots. Bumblebee was giving Jack a lift so that Elita could remain at the base for the meeting. "What seems to be the situation, Mark?" Optimus asked curiously.

"I had a visit from S.H.I.E.L.D. last night." Mark revealed, much to the surprise of Optimus, Elita, Arcee, and Ratchet. "Apparently there's a bit of a situation that we need to deal with and fast." He then proceeded to tell the Autobots about Agent Coulson's information about Knockout going street racing across the country and the Energon Detection Satellite.

Optimus frowned at this news. "This is a grave situation." He stated. "We have no idea where Knockout will be next until the races start."

Mark looked at Ratchet as if asking his opinion to tell Optimus about his street racing. Ratchet met Mark's eyes and nodded in agreement, as he didn't like keeping this from Optimus. "Actually, I might know where he's going to be, Optimus." Mark said. "There's a race tomorrow that's part of a group called the Circuit which is open to everyone who wants to take part in it. There's no entrance fee and no fee for spectators. The Circuit's races span throughout several states so those in the know will most likely be there tonight."

The remaining members of Team Prime were surprised by this news. "How do you know about this?" Arcee asked Mark, as she didn't know this.

Mark decided to keep his street racing a secret for a little longer. "I've gone to a few of the street races and even helped a couple of the racers out with their cars." He stated. It was the truth. He just omitted the part about being a racer himself. "Some of the guys at the scrapyard were talking about the Circuit race taking place tomorrow night at 11:00pm. And, like I said, it doesn't cost anything for people to participate, so it would be perfect for Knockout."

Optimus, Elita, and Arcee could tell that Mark was keeping something from them but decided not to press him about it now. Right now, they had to worry about things that were more important. "We must prevent Knockout from endangering any more human lives." Optimus stated.

"But how?" Arcee asked. "It's not like we can just enter the race ourselves."

Elita nodded in agreement. "Arcee's right. My vehicle mode would be recognized as Jack's car, which will probably get him in trouble with his mom." She stated.

"Bumblebee's vehicle form also stands out a bit too much." Ratchet stated. "He'd be too easily recognized."

"While that may be true, we cannot afford to risk Knockout endangering anymore human lives." Optimus stated.

Mark then got an idea. "What about a new paint job?" He suggested. The Autobots all looked at Mark in confusion. "If you're worried about being spotted so easily, a new paintjob should be able to at least get people confused." He stated with a shrug.

Ratchet seemed to understand what Mark was saying. "An electronic paintjob should prevent any humans from recognizing Elita or Bumblebee." He added.

"Plus it will allow either of us to get closer to the Con without being noticed." Elita commented.

"True, but we have no idea if Knockout will even be in the area." Optimus stated. "Even so, Ratchet, make sure that Elita is equipped with an alternate paintjob ready to go should she need to race."

"Understood, Optimus." Ratchet said with a nod as he went to his equipment to prepare the modification Elita would need.

Optimus then turned to his sparkmate. "I sensed you were upset about something earlier but then it was replaced with a feeling of satisfaction. Care to tell me what happened?" He asked.

Elita's protoform skin gained a slightly red tint on the cheeks, as she was busted and slightly embarrassed. "Earlier today, Jack had a run in with that punk Vince." Elita informed Optimus. "The punk challenged Jack to a race in order to show off to some girl."

"Sierra." Mark interjected. "She's one of the more popular girls at school and head cheerleader. She's an alright girl on the inside but can come off as being a bit of a snob to those who don't know her."

"Anyway, I stopped Jack from accepting the race by driving off before he could answer but Vince followed us." Elita continued her explanation. "He was determined to get his race but he crossed the line when he called me a 'chucky clucky piece of junk and ugly'." Optimus's optics narrowed dangerously as anger filled his spark. No one calls his Elita a piece of junk or ugly, and gets away with it, human or otherwise. "Needless to say, I wasn't about to let the punk get away with that so I allowed Jack to accept the challenge."

Arcee grinned. "I'm guessing you didn't just beat him?" She asked with a knowing grin.

Elita smiled proudly. "You bet, we made him cry." She stated. "His so-called muscle car was left eating my exhaust as Jack and I beat him by a mile."

Mark chuckled. "Good work, Elita, but don't be surprised if Vince challenges you and Jack again." He warned Team Prime's second-in-command. "Vince is a bully and doesn't like it when people beat him at something he thinks he's better than them at. And Jack beating him in a race is not going to sit well with him."

"If that's the case then it might have been a mistake to accept the challenge." Optimus suggested.

Mark shook his head. "Optimus, with all due respect, the only way to deal with a bully, like Vince, is to stand up to him." He argued. "Walking away might work for a time but sooner or later Vince will just get some of his buddies to help corner someone. And telling a teacher won't do anything in Vince's case because of who his parents are."

"Who are his parents?" Arcee asked curiously.

Mark sighed. "His dad's a cop, who refuses to believe his son would do anything wrong, and his mother is a rich 'lady', who has friends in high places." He stated. He used the word 'lady' loosely as he really thought she was a bitch but kept it to himself. Arcee, Elita, and, surprisingly, Ratchet appeared to be upset by this information. "Basically he's a self-centered bastard who needs to get knocked down a few pegs."

"We seem to be getting off topic." Optimus stated, even though he was also upset how this Vince appeared to be getting away with things he shouldn't be. It reminded him too much of the Caste system back on Cybertron before the war.

Ratchet nodded. "I have everything we need for an electronic paintjob." He said from his work area. "That should keep anyone from recognizing Elita, or Bumblebee, if we decide to send him as well."

Optimus nodded in understanding. "Let us hope that Knockout is able to refrain from racing for the time being." He stated.

_**The next day, at Memorial High,**_

The school day had just ended and Jack was leaving the building in order to head the parking lot where Elita One was waiting for him. For Jack, the day had been slightly more enjoyable than usual. Apparently, him beating Vince in the race really had gotten around the school, which resulted in his popularity rising slightly.

"Hey!" A familiar voice called out from behind Jack. Jack turned around and saw Sierra standing at the doors. "I've been looking for you!" Jack smiled at hearing this. "The race! How great was that? I was like, 'Yeah! Go Jack!'" Sierra remarked.

Jack shrugged. "It was no big deal." He said, trying to play it cool and not make a fool of himself.

"You got that right!" Vince agreed, as he rudely shoved past Jack as he walked up the steps of the school. He stopped a few steps up so that he was now looking down at Jack. "If you think you can run with the big boys, The Circuit. Tonight. 11pm." Vince challenged.

Jack was stunned to hear this and hesitated to answer. He glanced over Vince's shoulder at Sierra, who gave him an encouraging gesture. Jack sighed sadly. He knew he was going to get an earful from Elita for this.

_**Shortly, on the road to the Autobot Base,**_

"You agreed to what?!" Elita asked angrily as she was giving Jack a lift to the Autobot Base. Jack had just finished telling Elita what he had done and she was not happy.

"It's some kind of secret racing club." Jack stated defensively. "I don't know. I had no choice. Sierra was right there!" Jack defended.

"You always have a choice, Jack." Elita retorted. "And what part of 'just this once' did you not understand?"

"I know. I'm sorry. But we're on, right?" Jack asked hopefully.

"We are not on." Elita immediately stated, leaving no room for negotiation. The Autobots were already on high alert for the possibility of Knockout showing up tonight and Elita didn't want to risk Jack getting hurt.

_**That evening, on a road heading towards Jasper, Nevada,**_

Knockout was driving along a dirt road when he received a call on his com-link. _"Knockout, Starscream has been looking for you again."_ Breakdown warned. _"Where'd you go?"_

"Out for a little drive." Knockout replied. "I just roll from town to town sniffing around until…"

HONK! HONK!

A supped up car raced past Knockout. Given the obvious modifications made to the car, it was a street-racing car and it was in a hurry to get somewhere.

"The next opportunity presents itself." Knockout finished with a grin in his tone as he changed gears to catch up with it.

_**Meanwhile, at the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet and Optimus were at the main computer system. Their link to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Energon Detection Satellite had detected a Decepticon Energon signature approaching Jasper. Specifically, it was approaching where the starting point of the Circuit race. "It seems our like to the S.H.I.E.L.D. satellite is working." Ratchet commented.

"Mark, be on your guard." Optimus warned.

_**At the starting point of the Circuit Race,**_

Mark was currently in the driver's seat of his 2009 Black Corvette z06. He told Optimus that he would keep an eye out for Knockout, but left out the part about him being in his own car to do it. Mark being there without one of the Autobots was so that Knockout wouldn't know the Autobots were on to him. _"We have detected what could be Knockout approaching your location."_ Optimus said through Mark's cellphone, which was currently in Mark's cell phone mount on his dashboard.

Mark looked around but didn't see any sign of Knockout just yet. "No sign of him yet, Optimus, but I'll be sure to keep my eyes out for him." He promised. "I'll call back if he shows up. There's still thirty minutes until race time so he might not join in until just before the race starts."

"_We shall be on standby, waiting for your call."_ Optimus vowed.

Mark kept his eyes peeled for any sign of Knockout. That is when Mikaela's dark blue Urbana 500 with green highlights rolled up beside Mark's car. Mikaela rolled down her window. "Ready for a rematch?" She asked with a grin.

Mark gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Mikaela, but tonight's not going to be a good night for a rematch." He informed her gravely.

Mikaela's smile fell and she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why not?" She asked curiously.

"I received word from a friend of mine that a particularly dirty driver might be showing up to race tonight." Mark warned her. "I'm pretty sure I'll have my hands full dealing with him."

Mikaela had heard the stories from her cousin, Spike, about how her new friend was known for dealing with the dirty drivers who would purposely try to wreck others on the racecourse. With that in mind, she nodded in understanding and got ready for the race.

_**Ten minutes later, at the Autobot Base,**_

Ratchet, Optimus, Elita One, and Arcee were in another part of the base getting ready for the possible attack on Knockout. Raf was busy playing his racing game, having it set at the difficult level. He was getting very close to the end of the race. "Hey, Raf?" Jack called.

Raf's momentary distraction was enough to cause him to crash. Jack flinched, as this was not a good start to be asking Raf a favor. "Uh…is there any way I can borrow Bumblebee for an hour?" He requested nervously.

"_(To go racing!)"_ Bumblebee cheered excitedly.

"Jack, you know racing's against the rules." Raf reminded him. "What if Optimus found out?" He asked nervously, as he didn't want to anger Optimus.

Jack and Bumblebee sighed in defeat and disappointment.

"But, Raf, he's gotta get the girl!" Miko argued, getting a look of confusion from Raf. Miko and Jack shared a look that said 'he's too young to understand'. "And beat the bully!" Miko tried again.

"Well…" Raf trailed off, still unsure about letting Bumblebee race.

"Come on, Raf, just this once?" Jack pleaded him sincerely.

_**Shortly, at the Circuit's Starting Point,**_

The other drivers in the race had arrived, along with various spectators. Drivers were standing by their cars with their girlfriends or showing off their modifications to others. Mark had his car off to the side at the starting line, watching the new arrivals for any sign of Knockout when he saw an all too familiar yellow Urbana 500 with black racing stripes. "Oh you've gotta be kidding me." Mark groaned in annoyance. It was Bumblebee and Jack was in the driver's seat.

Bumblebee and Jack pulled up to the starting line, right next to Vince's 'muscle' car. Jack rolled down the window, surprising Vince that he was in the driver's seat. "Mark's giving his car a tune up. Friend of Mark's let me borrow his car." Jack said calmly.

Vince sneered cockily, thinking that he had this one in the bag. Jack turned his attention back to the track laid out before him. Suddenly, something beautiful came into view. Jack leant back into Bumblebee's seat in surprise at the sight. It was Sierra, who smiled at Jack and waved innocently at him.

"_Circuit drivers, are you ready?"_ The announcer shouted over the loudspeakers for everyone to hear. _"Make it mean but keep it clean! Fire 'em up in 5…4…3…2…1!"_

Just as the countdown was taking place, another car pulled up. This one was a shiny red Aston Martini DBS V12 sports car with white decals. Knockout had arrived and was joining in on the race. Mark was too distracted by the fact that Jack and Bumblebee were racing to realize this.

When the countdown had finished, Sierra threw her hands to the ground and crouched low. As the car took off, she jumped up, spun around, and watched the drivers begin to race around the circuit. Jack and Vince weren't interested in the other drivers. All they were worried about was who could beat who. For them this was a macho man competition, a competition to see who the better man was. Bumblebee's superior power allowed for him and Jack to start to pull away from the group, leaving Vince to try to keep up.

Because of how focused they were, they didn't notice Knockout riding along a little too close to them. "The Autobot they call Bumblebee," Knock Out remarked.

This was when Mark finally noticed Knockout. "Oh, shit!" He shouted as he quickly shifted gears and accelerated through the pack towards Knockout. He pressed the speed dial on his car's built in communicator, calling the Autobot Base.

Just as Mark was noticing him, Knockout decided to make himself known by ramming himself into Vince's car. This caused Vince to lose control for a moment and have to slow down. "Now to eliminate Bumblebee from this race for good." Knockout sneered as he accelerated after Bumblebee.

"Mark to Optimus, do you read me!" Mark said urgently.

"_Optimus here, Mark, what's the situation."_ Optimus's calm voice asked.

"Knockout's shown up but the race has already started." Mark reported. "He must joined in just as the countdown happened."

"_I shall alert Elita and Bumblebee."_ Ratchet said as he was with Optimus at the moment.

"Yeah, about that." Mark said nervously as he didn't want to rat out his friends but didn't have much choice. "Bumblebee's already here."

"_What?!"_ Optimus and Ratchet asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he and Jack are racing, most likely against Vince, but it looks like Knockout's about to make this a death race." Mark informed them. "I'll see what I can do to slow Knockout down. But I suggest you get here and fast!" He then hung up before they could say thing else.

While Mark was calling the base, Bumblebee had noticed Knockout approaching from behind and immediately recognized him. _"(Oh scrap! We've got unfriendly company!)"_ Bumblebee beeped.

"What was that, Bee?" Jack asked worriedly before glancing in the rearview mirror.

"_(Knockout's right behind us!)"_ Bumblebee bleeped.

Unfortunately, Jack couldn't understand what Bumblebee was saying but he did realize something. "Wait. I know that car." He said. Jack yelled out in surprise as Bumblebee suddenly veered right and began driving along the wall. Knockout immediately copied his actions… with guns popping out from above his rear tires!

Immediately, the Decepticon began firing shots at the young Autobot. Bumblebee did his best to avoid Knockout's painful shots. Luckily, they were far enough ahead of the pack that no one saw them.

Suddenly, a black 2009 Corvette z06 rammed into the side of Knockout, damaging the blaster on Knockout's right side. "Hey! Watch the finish!" Knockout shouted as the car pushed against him. He then noticed a familiar dark red design on the left side of the car, just a little in front of the driver's door. The design looked like a face and Knockout immediately recognized it. "The Autobot insignia!" He shouted in surprise.

Mark drove his car against Knockout. "Let's see how you like being scrapped, Con." Mark growled as he swerved a bit to the right before quickly going to the left, slamming the side of his car against Knockout. This blow caused the Con to spin out a few times as Mark raced on ahead.

Bumblebee and Jack were shocked to see this newcomer helping them. The black Corvette drove up alongside Bumblebee's right side. This allowed Jack and Bumblebee to notice the dark red Autobot symbol it sported. "Another Autobot?" Jack asked in shock.

"_(I'm certainly not complaining!)"_ Bumblebee chirped happily.

Knockout had recovered from his spinning and was once again chasing Bumblebee as well as the new Autobot. Now he was angry. Not only did he get blindsided by this new Autobot, the newcomer had ruined his paintjob! No one does that to him and gets away with it.

Mark glared at his rearview mirror as Knockout approached him and Bumblebee. "Looks like someone can't take a hint." He growled as he pressed a button, preparing his car's weapon systems.

Inside Bumblebee, Jack was starting to get worried. This was supposed to just be a simple race to get Vince off his case and impress Sierra. Now, he was in a race for his life as Knockout chased him and Bumblebee. The surprising arrival of another Autobot was a welcome sight but he wasn't sure if this new guy could be trusted or not.

"Can you lose him, Bee?" Jack asked nervously.

"_(I'll do what I can.)"_ Bumblebee replied. _"(But I think we should call base for backup.)"_

Unfortunately, Jack couldn't understand him. "What'd you say?"

"_(I said we might need backup.)"_ Bumblebee replied.

"…I hope that means 'yes'." Jack said nervously. "Cause I'd rather not call base for back-up."

_**While this was happening, at the Autobot Base,**_

Raf and Miko were currently playing their racing game while Bulkhead watched. This is what Arcee and Elita found when they walked into the main area of the base. Elita then noticed that Jack wasn't with them. "Has anyone seen Jack?" She asked curiously.

Miko and Raf froze at the question. "Not since…we last saw him." Miko answered nervously.

Elita narrowed her optics at them as she realized that Bumblebee was also missing. "…They're racing, aren't they?" She asked knowingly.

"Just this once." Raf confessed nervously.

Arcee looked at Bulkhead who was trying not to look at them. "Did you know about this?" Arcee asked Bulkhead.

"No…" Bulkhead lied quickly refusing to meet the gaze of the two femmes. Elita and Arcee gave him a dirty look as they weren't buying it. "Maybe…a little…" He confessed nervously.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by an incoming transmission from none other than Bumblebee. _"(Guys, I've got a serious situation!)"_ Bumblebee bleeped urgently. _"(Jack and I are being chased by Knockout!)"_

"You're being chased by Knockout?" Raf repeated in surprise.

"Isn't that the Decepticon Doctor?" Miko questioned.

"Bee, do not engage." Elita immediately ordered. "Your first priority is to keep Jack safe." The transmission was then ended as Elita headed for the GroundBridge controls. "Until I get my hands on him." Elita muttered to herself.

_**With Jack, Bumblebee, and Mark,**_

Bumblebee and Jack continued driving along the road but they were having a hard time shaking Knockout off their trail who continued to fire at them. Mark was driving alongside them, trying to come up with a plan. He then got an idea and pressed a button, releasing some oil from the back of his car. Bumblebee had the same idea as he also leaked some oil on the road behind him. The slick oil caused Knockout's wheels to lose their friction and he began to lose control.

"Slick." Jack complimented with a grin as he watched knockout spin out.

Bumblebee drove himself back onto the track in the circuit and backed himself under a bridge, turning off his lights in the process and, once out of sight, turning off his engine. Mark followed Bumblebee's example and parked next to Bumblebee, as well as turning off his lights and engine, using his car's scanners to keep an eye out for the Decepticon. Knockout eventually regained his footing and began driving back towards the circuit. He came to a stop at the beginning of the bridge Bumblebee and Mark were hiding under. Jack froze, trying not to make a sound or move.

Knockout's internal sensors read no signs of any Autobot or Decepticon in the area. Therefore, he put metal to the pedal and drove right out of there.

"I think we lost him, Bee." Jack whispered in relief.

Unfortunately, that was when Jack was faced with another problem, an obnoxious problem by the name of Vince. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" Jack moaned.

Vince came to a stop in front of the two hiding cars. His face was beginning to turn red in pure anger. However, Jack didn't care as he had more important things to worry about at the moment, like the Decepticon that was after him and Bumblebee.

"Vince, you fucking idiot…" Mark groaned to himself.

"Darby!" Vince yelled as he pounded his right fist into the palm of his open left hand.

Knockout just happened to hear the engine noise coming from behind him and slammed on the brakes, causing burnt rubber marks to appear on the road as the car suddenly came to a complete stop in the middle of the road. He used his side view mirrors to look for any sign of his foes. Therefore, when he saw the colors of bumper lights, he immediately changed gears and reversed back to the bridge, another advantage of driving on an empty road taken by him.

"Vince! You have to get out of here, OK? You win! Congratulations! Now go!" Jack pleaded.

However, Vince didn't listen, being the thick headed idiot that he was. Instead, he pounded his fists against Bumblebee's hood.

"No. No. Start and back-up, loser, we're finishing this race!" Vince demanded angrily. "Don't wanna take it to the finishing line? Fine! Then we've got something to settle right here! Right now!" Vince proclaimed.

Vince's own screaming suddenly cut off his rant. Jack and Mark were surprised and concerned when a giant black hand reached down and scooped up Vince into his palm. The hand that just happened to belong to Knockout. Vince yelled out in surprise as he was thrown into the air while Knockout transformed into his vehicular mode. Vince landed in Knockout's passenger seat with a grunt. He protested as the sunroof slammed shut above his head and the seatbelt wrapped themselves around his frame tightly, preventing any means of escape for Vince.

"What's going on?" He demanded, afraid of what could happen.

An Energon zapper appeared before Vince's eyes, with Energon sparks flying from the prong for his head. As he felt the sparks take their effect on him, Vince moaned and slumped forward into the seat as he passed out. Satisfied with the current state of his captive, Knockout switched on the ignition and drove away, putting pedal to the metal once again.

Mark immediately restarted his car and burned rubber as he raced up the side hill on the road and chased after Knockout and Vince. He contemplated activating his lights but realized that it would give him away so he activated the night vision function of his windows, a special feature courtesy of Ratchet. This allowed him to see as if it were the middle of the day.

Jack had run up the side hill onto the road in the hopes of stopping Knockout for getting away with the bully. However, he was too late. Knockout and Mark were gone, having disappeared in a cloud of sand and dust as they disappeared into the dark horizon.

_**With Knockout,**_

"Breakdown, you'll never guess what I'm packing." Knockout gushed excitedly as he continued down the highway with Vince unconscious and bound in his passenger seat. He was too busy patting himself on the back to notice the black Corvette without its lights on chasing after him. "Bumblebee's human friend! And when the Autobot attempts to stage a rescue…" Knockout trailed off.

"_He has a…breakdown!"_ Breakdown chuckled excitedly as he caught onto his partner's plan.

_**Back with Jack and Bumblebee,**_

"Bee, he's getting away!" Jack cried as Bumblebee approached him.

"_(Don't worry, Jack, backup's on its way!)"_ Bumblebee bleeped at him.

"I-I-I can't understand you!" Jack cried out in annoyance. "Look. I'm not Raf! Can't you just… honk once for bad news and honk twice for good news?"

Bumblebee seemed to like that idea as he finally had a method of communication Jack would understand. He quickly honked twice, telling Jack that he had good news indeed. But then honked once, meaning he also had bad news. Jack was relieved that he could understand the mute Autobot, but was then worried when he heard the third honk and saw Elita, Arcee, and Bulkhead arriving. The Autobots transformed as they approached.

"Jack, we need to chat." Elita One proclaimed dangerous as she scowled at her friend with her hands on her hips.

"Later, Elita, Vince got snatched by that slick sports car Con!" Jack announced.

"What would Knockout want with a random human?" Elita asked in confusion.

"He probably mistook him for Bumblebee's human partner." Jack stated. "I'm not even Bumblebee's human partner. Look. It doesn't matter why they took him! Vince is in trouble!"

"Oh well, tough break for Vince." Bulkhead shrugged carelessly, earning numerous glares from the other Autobots.

"Bulkhead!" Jack protected.

"What?" Bulkhead asked defensively. "I hear the guy's a jerk! Mark's said so himself! He's a self-centered bastard!"

"No argument there." Jack agreed wholeheartedly. "But the guy is also innocent! Vince doesn't deserve to get crushed by Cons!"

Elita sighed as she agreed with Jack. She transformed into her vehicle mode and opened her driver side door. "Hop in." She said.

_**Meanwhile, at the Autobot Base,**_

Raf and Miko were waiting impatiently for the others to return or at least call in. "They should have called by now." Raf moaned worriedly. "You think Bumblebee is OK?"

"Don't worry, Raf." Miko assured her younger friend. "Bulkhead won't let anything happen to Jack or Bee."

Suddenly, they heard the sounds of footsteps, heavy footsteps. Raf and Miko froze their actions in fear. Slowly and hesitantly, they turned around and saw Optimus Prime himself entering the main meeting area, approaching them. He appeared to be looking for something…or someone. Ratchet followed behind Optimus but merely went to his normal position at the computer console.

"We should just tell Optimus the truth!" Raf hissed to Miko.

"Absolutely not!" Miko retorted in a whisper. "We made a deal! Just act completely normal!" She advised in a whisper.

"Raf, Miko, do either of you know where the others have gone?" Optimus asked them worriedly.

"Why no, sir, we do not know." Miko lied…unconvincingly, her voice sounding robotic as if she was reading a script.

"Miko is correct. We don't know." Raf added robotically with a forced smile.

"Why would we know?" Miko asked rhetorically.

Optimus raised an eyebrow at them. "Hmm…"

Just then, the communication alert went off. Ratchet activated the com-link so everyone could hear. _"Mark to Base, we have a situation on our hands out here!"_ Mark called urgently.

Optimus immediately turned to the computer and answered. "What's the situation Mark?" He asked.

"_Knockout's taken that idiot Vince hostage."_ Mark revealed. _"He probably mistook Vince for being Bumblebee's partner since the idiot was trying to get Jack to continue the race. I'm currently in pursuit of Knockout and he appears to not have noticed me. The others aren't too far behind."_

Optimus was surprised by this news as well as confused. "How are you pursuing Knockout without Arcee?" He asked.

Mark sighed. _"I'm using my street racing car."_ He confessed sounding reluctant to reveal this information. _"I've been street racing for the last few weeks. My mom knows and had Ratchet upgrade it so that it would be a lot safer that a normal car. Look that doesn't matter right now."_

"We'll be talking about you keeping this from us later." Optimus promised Mark, as right now he was needed.

"_Understood."_ Mark said sounding somewhat nervous. _"We're coming up to an old storage area that was abandoned a few years ago- Oh Fuck!"_ Mark shouted as the sounds of skidding tires were heard through the communication link.

"Mark, what is it? Have you been spotted?" Ratchet asked urgently.

"_No, but Breakdown just showed up and-!"_ Mark started to inform the others only for static to suddenly cut off the transmission.

"Mark, come in!" Ratchet ordered urgently only to receive static. "The Cons must've activated a jamming signal to prevent us from communicating with one another."

"Ratchet, try contacting the others." Optimus ordered.

"I'm already on it, Optimus." Ratchet informed the Autobot leader as he pressed some buttons. "Base to Arcee, Elita, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead, do you read?" He asked only to receive static in return. "They must also be in the jamming field."

"Ratchet, lock onto Mark's previous coordinates and open the GroundBridge." Optimus commanded. "I will ensure that our young friend is safe."

Ratchet nodded as he input the coordinates and activated the GroundBridge. Optimus transformed into his vehicle form and drove through it.

_**Meanwhile, on the road, in Jasper,**_

Elita One, Jack, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee raced down the road that Knockout had taken, trying to find the Con. They stopped at an interception as they looked for Knockout, only for a red and white car to race past in front of them. The group immediately realized that it was Knockout and began to chase the Decepticon. Knockout saw them coming. "Hmm, Bumblebee brought company." He said as he pulled into the facility. They saw Knockout entering an old storage facility that had been abandoned.

"On your guard, team, this could be a trap." Arcee warned as it was way too easy to find Knockout.

"And remember. No shooting." Jack reminded them.

Elita stopped near the entrance to the facility. "Speaking of safety, Jack, this is where you get out." She informed Jack. Jack climbed out and dusted himself off as Elita took off for the action.

As they drove around the place, Bumblebee and Bulkhead saw a giant hole in the wire fence. Suspecting trouble, they immediately transformed into their bipedal modes and unfolded their arm cannons. Arcee was climbing up the water tower, ready to attack from above in case trouble came. Elita took to staying up on top of one of the sturdier buildings, laying on her front with her sniper rifle in hand. She looked through the scope as Bulkhead and Bumblebee slowly made their way through the facility.

Suddenly, Knockout turned his front lights on, temporarily blinding Bulkhead and Bumblebee. Then from the wall next to them, Breakdown broke his way into the fight. His hammer hit the road between Bulkhead and Bumblebee, causing the two to flip away. Bumblebee stood ready to fight in his boxer-like fighting stance. He dodged one of Breakdown's attacks and landed a few punches but they didn't little damage to the large Con. Breakdown swung his hammer at Bumblebee, who was too slow, and whacked the Scout out of the way. Bulkhead was immediately on Breakdown, landed a pair of powerful punches. Eventually, he did the same to Bulkhead.

Vince was still in Knockout's passenger seat unconscious. However, Knockout didn't care at the moment. He was occupied with another quest. "Where are the two-wheeler and the Prime's mate?" He asked himself as Bumblebee was shooting at Breakdown. Arcee suddenly jumped down on top him and began punching dents. "Hey! Watch the paint! It's custom!"

"Seriously?" Arcee snickered in confused humor.

The tires squealed as Knockout rolled out, with Arcee riding along on top of him. Elita fired a round at Knockout's rear tires but the Con was able to just barely avoid it. Breakdown picked Bumblebee up by the arm and prepared to punch the Autobot only for Bumblebee to release his blaster and shoot Breakdown in the chest, causing him to let go.

Just outside, Jack's attention was captured by the sound of squealing tires. He turned and saw Knockout attempting an escape with Arcee standing on top of him, trying to maintain balance. Basically, Arcee was the surfer and Knockout was the surfboard. Unfortunately, Knockout took a sharp turn, causing Arcee to loss her balance and fall off. However, Arcee quickly transformed into her vehicular mode and chased after Knockout into the night. She was closely followed by Elita One.

"Atta girls!" Jack cheered to himself quietly.

Suddenly, a black Corvette z06 raced past Jack, surprising him. "Whoa, where'd he come from?" Jack wondered.

_**Inside the facility,**_

"_Uh, Breakdown, in case you're looking for me, things got messy, so I hit the road."_ Knockout informed his partner over the com-link. _"One scrap is enough for today."_

Breakdown heard his partner but didn't acknowledge as he had Bumblebee cornered and was about to finish the scout off when he heard some. It sounded like something being torn apart and was accompanied by some nearby lights flickering off. Breakdown turned around and found himself smacked in the face with a light post, sending him flying through the same building he broke through before. That hit was courtesy of Bulkhead.

_**On the road,**_

Arcee and Elita were chasing after Knockout as the Decepticon attempted to flee with Vince still his prisoner. Elita was starting to catch up to him when Knockout decided to play dirty and released a bunch of metal nails onto the road. The sharp points of some of the nails puckered her tires, causing them to blow out. Arcee went around the nails and Elita but wasn't fast enough to catch up.

"Eat my dust!" Knockout taunted, only for a familiar black Corvette to speed past Arcee and start to catch up to him.

Mark knew that he had Knockout's attention. "Optimus, now!" He shouted into the communicator from the driver's seat of the black Corvette.

**HONK! HONK!**

Knockout was startled and caught off guard when Optimus Prime came into view driving on the road that was merging with the one Knockout was on. Knockout had no time to react when Optimus gave him a not so gentle nudge.

Knockout lost control of the car once again. However, he didn't regain control this time. He crashed into a ditch and couldn't dig himself out of this one.

"Optimus, Knockout has a hostage." Arcee warned, giving Optimus the heads-up as he transformed and approached Knockout.

"This is gonna be good." Mark said with a grin.

With ease, Optimus picked Knockout up and held him in the air by his rear bumper. "YEOW!" Knockout screamed in pain as Optimus ripped the driver's side door off the main frame.

Carefully, Optimus reached inside the interior of the car and freed the still-unconscious Vince from his current predicament. With Vince safe in his hand, he simply threw Knockout to the side as he transformed.

Knockout looked at his left arm, which was now missing the armor that made up his left arm. "Do you know how hard that is to replace?" Knockout asked angrily after observing the damage to his arm.

"Consider that a warning of what will happen if you continue using street racing to endanger human lives." Optimus growled dangerously. "And for the record, this human has no knowledge of our war." He revealed. "You just wasted Energon attempting to abduct an innocent bystander."

Suddenly, Knockout saw he was outnumbered. Not only were Arcee and Elita standing by, but also that mysterious black Corvette was nearby, with Bulkhead and Bumblebee approaching them. That was when he realized he had no chance this round. Realizing that this was his only chance to retreat, he took it. He transformed and put metal to the pedal in order to get out of there as fast as he could, only to lose a tire from the damage he had sustained.

Just then, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Arcee, and Elita One joined Optimus and the mysterious Corvette. Jack was riding along inside of Bumblebee while the other members of Team Prime transformed into their bipedal forms and stood before their leader.

Jack rolled down Bumblebee's window to face Optimus. "Optimus, this is my fault." He confessed to the Autobot leader.

Optimus was not concerned with that for the moment. "We must get this boy to safety." He stated, gesturing to the unconscious Vince. "Explanations can come later… from all of you." He said.

Everyone looked down at this declaration. _"(We are so dead.)"_ Bumblebee whined.

Optimus then looked at the black Corvette. "That includes you as well… Mark." He said.

The Autobots all snapped their heads in the direction of the black Corvette as the tinted window rolled down to reveal a now helmetless Mark Shadow in the driver's seat. "I get the feeling this is going to be a long night." He commented with a sigh.

_**Shortly, on the road, heading back to the Circuit Course,**_

Jack was in Bumblebee's driver's seat with an unconscious Vince in the passenger seat. "Ugh…" Vince groaned as he started to regain consciousness. He realized he was in the car of passenger seat of the 'loser' Jack Darby's replacement car. "How did? What happened?" He asked in confusion. The Energon zap caused him to forget being grabbed by Knockout.

Jack shrugged. "Some guys jumped you under the bridge." He explained. "They tossed you into their trunk. Must have been some sort of initiation." Jack lied convincingly.

"Really?" Vince asked in confusion.

"Yeah, I found you knocked out on the side of the road." Jack said, keeping from laughing at the inside joke.

Soon enough, they reached the place where Vince's car was left after his abduction. Vince climbed out and walked over to his 'muscle' car. Jack rolled down his window. "Look, I gotta be honest." He said to Vince. "After what I saw tonight, I think racing isn't really my thing." Jack confessed.

Vince leaned down to look Jack in the eyes. "I hear you, Darby." He said seeming sincere until he sneered. "Hard to win a race driving a pedal car!" Vince sneered, causing Bumblebee to put pedal to the metal. It seemed that Vince was destined to be the same arrogant idiot as ever.

_**Shortly, on the Bridge of the Decepticon Warship,**_

Knockout and Breakdown had returned from their attempt to destroy the Autobots and reported to Starscream. Needless to say, Starscream was not pleased. "Knockout! Was I not clear?!" Starscream screeched angrily. "You have defied my orders for the last time!"

"My mistake, Commander Starscream." Knockout apologized quickly. "But I've learned my lesson…and paid the price." He grumbled as he tenderly rubbed his arm where Optimus had violently ripped the driver's side door off.

Unfortunately, Starscream was not in a forgiving mood. "It…is…LORD!" He bellowed as he got in Knockout's face. "And you have paid when I SAY you have paid!" Starscream proclaimed as he help up his long, sharp, metallic claw. "Not to worry. Your punishment shall be merely…cosmetic." He declared as he slowly brought his claw down on Knockout, who found himself restrained by a pair of Eradicons.

"No! Not the finish! Anything but the finish!" Knockout pleaded pathetically before Breakdown cringed at the sound of screeching metal and the sounds of Knockout's screams…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

_**Meanwhile, at the Autobot Base,**_

Optimus stood before his troops and human friends as he listened to their explanation of what had happened. Bulkhead wasn't sure what had happened exactly only that Vince needed to be taught a lesson which was why Bumblebee agreed to help Jack out. Bumblebee was in the same boat as he was just trying to help Jack out since he knew that Vince was the school bully and like to not only pick on Jack but Raf as well. Miko and Raf were the same as Bumblebee as they were both sick of Vince's constant torment, even though Mark kept him at bay, it would've been nice for someone else to stand up to the bully for once.

Elita revealed that she knew about Jack accepting Vince's challenge but had put her foot down since she was worried about Knockout appearing that the race, which he did. She didn't want Jack to get caught in the crossfire.

Arcee had no idea what had been going on until Bumblebee's call came in for help. She admitted that she probably should've recommended Elita call Optimus but was too caught up in making sure Jack was safe. Not to mention she was worried that Mark might've been spotted by the Con and the last thing she wanted was for her partner to be kidnapped again.

Jack admitted that he had succumbed to peer-pressure and the desire to impress Sierra. He probably should've just walked away instead of letting them get to him. The main thing was that he was sick of always having Mark fight his battles for him and wanted to stand up to Vince on his own for once.

Optimus sighed. "I am still angry with all of you. You let pride get in the way of what was truly important." He stated. "Instead of talking to me as soon as all of this started, you kept this to yourselves and just hoped it would all go away quietly. However, you are all to be commended. By yourselves, you have realized the consequences of your actions and tried your best to make amends. Because of your actions, Vince didn't fall into Decepticon hands. Therefore, you all shall go unpunished." He stated as he knew everyone had learned their lesson. Optimus then turned to Mark. "However that still leaves the question of why you were street racing in the first place?" He said to the eldest of the Autobots' human charges.

Mark sighed. "I needed an escape." He confessed. "I was getting bored with the everyday routine I felt I was in." The Autobots looked at him in surprise. "I just wanted some excitement." He elaborated. "Sure, hanging out with you guys is never dull but in all honesty, we're not exactly allowed to do much around here." He gestured to himself, Jack, Miko, and Raf.

"Plus, he's too much like his father." Sarah added from the raised platform. Ratchet had called her and told her of Optimus finding out about Mark's street racing, so she came to help clear things up. "Alan was a street racer himself for years, using it as an escape from the stress of his everyday life, so it made sense to me that Mark might also find the necessary excitement in street racing. It's why I gave him my permission to race in the first place." She revealed much to everyone's surprise.

"Why would you allow him to do something like that?" Arcee asked in disbelief. She knew Sarah was more lenient than June was and gave Mark more freedom but she still couldn't understand why she would let him do something like this.

"Because I know my son." Sarah said calmly with a smile. "I knew it was only a matter of time before he got tired of having to do the same boring routine almost every day. Plus, here in Jasper, street racing isn't illegal provided you follow certain rules." She then explained the various rules to the Autobots. "I knew my son would follow those rules and helped him acquire his street racer. However, I also asked Ratchet to modify the car so it would be a lot safer than a normal car is." She revealed.

Optimus looked at Ratchet in surprise. "You knew about this?" He asked.

Ratchet nodded firmly. "Indeed, I knew of Mark's street racing and kept quiet as I figured this was a much safer release than him following us into a combat situation like someone else we know would." He said looking directly at Miko. "I not only made the car more structurally safe, but also installed some defensive weapons so that, if we were ever busy while Mark was street racing and he was found by the Cons, he'd be able to defend himself."

Optimus nodded in understanding. During the War for Cybertron, some of his soldiers had developed certain habits to help deal with the stress of the war. One such release was his men having races just for fun in order to let off some steam. While he didn't like having this information kept from him, he understood that Mark was just trying to have some fun that wasn't as dangerous as other things he could've been doing.

Optimus sighed. "It's late and all of you have school tomorrow." He told the young humans. "I suggest you all go home for now. We will discuss this further tomorrow." He told them. With that, everyone was sent home via the GroundBridge.

_**The next day, at Memorial High,**_

Jack was walking towards Elita after school had gotten out. The day had gone by pretty normally, with Vince merely ignoring him instead of trying to taunt him. He was climbing into Elita's driver seat when Sierra approached him. "Hey Jack." She greeted warmly. "Do you have time for that ride?" She asked hopefully. She may not have really paid that much attention to Jack during their classes but she, along with practically everyone at school, knew that Jack worked at KO Drive Thru.

Jack wanted more than anything to accept but he was already in enough trouble with not only the Autobots but his mom as well. Instead of letting it get back to his mom, Jack had told her this morning what he had done the previous night. While June was upset with Jack, she could tell that he had learned his lesson about giving in to peer pressure, and merely gave him a stern talking to. "I'm… I'm sorry, Sierra. I can't right now." He apologized regretfully.

"No problem." Sierra said with a sad shrug. "I guess I'll just see you around." She then started to walk away.

Jack sighed sadly. "Go ahead." Elita invited him.

Jack looked down at the steering wheel in surprise. "Whoa, really?" He asked, making sure he heard right.

"Just this once." Elita emphasized.

Soon enough, Jack was giving Sierra a lift home. Sierra was certainly enjoying the ride and smiled as they drove.

_**That night, at the Shadow Residence,**_

Mark got home from the Autobot Base to find that the house was dark. It didn't really surprise him as his mom was working late at the hospital. Arcee had given him a lift and was currently powered down in the garage. He opened the door that lead from the garage to the rest of the house but paused. _'Something's not right…'_ He thought to himself as he entered his home.

Mark cautiously walked through the house towards the living room. He slowly entered the dark room, keeping his senses open for a sneak attack.

"I see Agent Coulson was right about you, Mr. Shadow." A voice said from the darkness. The lights to the room flipped on automatically and revealed none other than General or as he was Nick Fury, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., standing by the window. The bald African America was wearing an eye patch over his scarred left eye and an all-black outfit with a leather black duster jacket over it. "You do have good instincts." He commented.

"General Fury…" Mark said as he tried to remain calm. He did not lower his guard however. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Agent Coulson told me about your request for giving the Autobots access to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new Energon Detection Satellites." Fury stated calmly, getting right to why he was here. "Normally I wouldn't even consider such a suggestion as it could possibly backfire on us, but I know a good idea when I hear one." He walked over to Mark, pulling out a flash drive from the inside of his jacket. He held out the drive for Mark. "This will give the Autobots complete access to the satellites." He told Mark as the teen took the flash drive.

Mark looked at it with a cocked eyebrow. "What's the catch?" He asked Fury, getting a blank look from the S.H.I.E.L.D. director.

"What makes you think there's a catch?" Fury countered coolly.

Mark grinned. "I've seen enough spy movies to know that whenever a spy offers you something, there's always a catch." He replied.

Fury gave him an un-amused looked. Without another word, Fury left the house.

'_That pretty much confirms that Fury is up to something.'_ Mark thought as he looked at the flash drive. _'I'll have to warn Ratchet before he uses this to link the base's computers up with the satellites.'_ He then went to his bedroom to get some sleep.

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
